30 Days to Wed
by BlkTgrRdRse
Summary: Bella Swan, a relationship therapist in Seattle, makes a deal with Edward Cullen to have him married in 30 days...until she falls in love with him in the process. AU, AH, Cannon couples. M-rated themes...maybe a lemon if you're good?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the story line.**

**This is the story that I intended on posting a while ago...but there were so many different, and awkward, directions I could take this prologue in. So, here it is! A more comedic story. Let me know if I should continue! ((That means review it if you like it...or even if you don't like it.))**

**Reviews=quotes from the next chapter and I will be better about sending those out now that I don't have evil finals breathing down my throat!**

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Prologue

I, Bella Swan, am an old crone.

I am twenty-nine years old and I am an old crone.

My best friend is married, my roommate just got engaged and here I sit in a bar alone while they're celebrating in the corner.

I'm drinking with my friend Jack Daniels and they're eating a great meal without me.

Ok, so I'm not being entirely fair to anyone in this situation. First of all, I my pregnant friend Rosalie has been coming over to yank on my arm and try to bring me over to the corner with them.

Maybe I should go join them.

After all, the dark side _does_ have cookies…and they're not above using bribery and blackmail to drag people in.

I sigh and take another shot from in front of me. I have been contemplating taking the bottle from my friend, Tyler, the bar tender, but I'm pretty sure that taking open liquor from anywhere is illegal.

I shake my head. I thought that the day was going so well! I had had so many positive changes in my client's relationships that I didn't think it was possible for anything to bring me down.

And then I met someone who would change all of that.

As I hear the sweet voice next to me speak, my entire day comes back to me in Technicolor.

"Are you going to be alright?"

* * *

"As if this day couldn't get any worse?" I scream to God…or the clouds. I'm pretty sure the clouds were listening more closely. It was pouring rain and my 1963 Chevy pick-up had just bitten the dust. I was just lucky I had gotten it into a parking lot before it finally died.

Fitting it was parked in a hospital parking lot.

Jake promised me that my car would not break down _again_. He promised and, apparently, he had no idea what he was talking about. So, now, I am forced to sit here, in my rusting truck, until it either stops raining or some poor, unsuspecting victim of a friend comes close enough for me to carjack them.

Oh, who was I kidding? I was going to end up walking the four blocks back to my office building. I looked to my passenger seat for my umbrella…to discover that, in my rush to leave work, my umbrella had stayed behind in my office. I resisted the urge to scream as I slammed my forehead down against the steering wheel, producing a loud 'honk' out of the broken truck. I shook my head against the wheel.

Guess that my only option is walking.

Walking is a four block uphill battle through the pouring rain back to my office.

I officially hate being a therapist.

I look over in the passenger seat for my umbrella. I'm usually pretty prepared, being accident prone. It's made me paranoid. There is nothing good about having to stay the night in your car.

I can't feel the umbrella in the passenger seat. I turn to glance, knowing that I was probably _just_ missing the handle. I find that my umbrella isn't in the seat.

It has to be in the car! I know that I took it into my office this morning and, as I was rushing out to my car, I…

Grabbed my purse and ran. I didn't even think about my umbrella.

Damn the pixie Alice Cullen.

What gave her the right to call me and insist, while I was in an appointment, that I get home as soon as possible? There is absolutely nothing I can think of that would require I get home before six o'clock, the time we had arranged to go out for drinks with the rest of our group.

I groaned. I would get back at her somehow…somehow.

Oh, who was I kidding? I needed a ride out of here, fast!

I grab my cell phone. Alice will be my perfect ride. She was the reason that I was here. Well, in general, it wasn't her fault entirely. But I was going to call her and she was going to pick me up in this storm whether she liked it or not.

I take out my phone and punch in Alice's number.

I receive silence. I punch in the number again. I finally stop and look at the message displayed on my screen.

"Cell phone does not hold sufficient battery power to place call," it reads. "phone will now shut down."

My eyes go wide. Oh, no. I charged this. I know I did. I only took it out of my room when Angela came to stay the night on Monday because Ben wasn't supposed to see her before the wedding and…

Oh, no. I forgot to plug it back up in the wall.

And it's Friday!

I could cry I am so frustrated. I don't even want to think about walking all of the way back to the office.

I take a deep breath.

Ok. I can do this. I will just have to roll out of my car and walk.

And that just seems more and more intimidating the more I think about it.

I open my door…and I see salvation.

Across the street from me is a hospital. In hospitals, there are phones in every single room. That means that I have access to a phone in several different areas and I'm right across from the ER entrance so I know there is an accessible pay phone!

But I hate hospitals. I hate the stench and the pain and the needles they threaten me with when I walk in the door! If I weren't so accident prone, I wouldn't spend a single second of my life in a hospital!

The doctors know me on a first name basis! My best friend's dad used to love to tease me before I moved to the city about my track record with the ER! He used to be the doctor that sewed me up, for God's sake!

I weigh my options.

Four blocks or the ER?

I shake my head. There really _are_ no other options. Unless this suddenly turns into a bad romance novel and a hot man walks out of the emergency room doors right now, I'm definitely going in.

First order of business: find a phone.

Into the bleach filled hospital I go. At least the ER nurses know me.

I sprint across the street, knowing I'm jaywalking and not caring. I am soaked by the time I get into the hospital and I am cold. With my teeth chattering, I stop in between the automatic doors and I wring my hair out, glancing casually at my watch as I do so.

It's six-o-five. I was supposed to be home five minutes ago. I shake my head. Alice Cullen can deal with it.

I stroll up to the bored ER nurse. She is currently doing a cross-word puzzle as she waits on the poor people sitting in the lobby. I'm scared to look at the poor kid screaming his heart out.

I open my mouth as I see her go into automatic, not even bothering to look up. "Can I use the pay phone? My car broke down and…"

"Listen, lady. I don't care. Do you have to hold up my day to ask if you can use a pay ph…Bella! Hi!" I roll my eyes. I love it when they glance up, see me, and start examining me. Her mood seems much improved. "Go ahead, sweetheart, and use the phone. Do you want me to call a tow truck? How about a cab? I'm sure you need a ride _somewhere_. Afterall, it is Friday night!"

I shake my head. "The phone is perfectly acceptable." I am in a bad mood and I have no time for her attitude, so I shuffle off to the pay phone, right next to the ER exit.

I shuffle through my purse for coinage to discover barely enough. Hopefully I can scream at Alice and have her on her way in five seconds.

I punch in Alice's number before I even hear the dial tone…and I get voicemail. This day is not mine, clearly. I take in a deep breath and mutter into the phone. "Listen, Alice. Guess where I am?" I say, with feigned enthusiasm. "I'm at the ER because my car broke down and I barely got it into a parking lot. Since you're the one that insisted I come home SO fast, you better be here to pick me up in five minutes or you're not just paying to fix my car, you're paying to get me a new one, and I'm saying it better be a Ferrari for all of the hell I've gone through today!" I press myself up against the wall as the exit door opens. I sigh and hiss into the phone some more. "Five minutes! Do you hear me? Five! And you better bring clothes, make-up, and money to buy me a couple rounds!" I slam the phone back onto the receiver.

I sigh, shake my head, and push back my soaked hair. All I can do now is wait.

"Excuse me," I hear from behind me. A velvet voice, familiar, but not…like I knew them when they were a child and they grew up… "Are you going to be alright?"

I turn around slowly. When the guy looks me up and down, I feel insulted, but when recognition kicks in, I have to smile. The bronze hair is as beautiful as ever, the emerald eyes are so pretty, so deep and they sparkle like the gem stones themselves. The muscles I can see below his tightly stretched coat would make any woman's mouth water…but not mine because I have complete control…Can't say a single word, but I have complete control!

"Edward Cullen?" He towered over me. He always used to, but I never thought I'd see him again. He was five years older than Alice, my best friend and roommate who I had just finished yelling at over the phone, which made him unapproachable. He was a senior in high school when I was in the eighth grade. Even though he adored his sister, I saw him on, maybe, two occasions…and I remember having the biggest crush on him. He must be thirty-four now…and probably married to a gorgeous bottle blonde who couldn't count to four.

He smiled a dazzling smile. "Bella!" He reached out, as though to embrace me, but the awkwardness of it was too much. Emmett hugged me. Hell, Jasper could hug me if he felt so inclined. Edward Cullen, a celebrity to the little eighth grade side of me, could not. I pretend I don't notice. He shrugs a gym bag over up higher on his shoulder. "I thought I recognized the fashion sense," he must see the offended look that crosses my features. "Alice is constantly showing our family pictures…and she talks," he says, as though seeking to explain. I feel the awkwardness in the conversation as he looks at my drenched black turtleneck and my hiking boots, which make my feet the only thing dry on my body.

"I just called Alice, actually," I say, smiling. "She…um…she wanted me to come home and…"

Edward nods, understanding. "Not for anything important, of course. And now your car's broken down?" I open my mouth and then shut it. I don't know what to say, so I nod. "Don't you think you should change into something dry? It's freezing outside…"

"I'm fine," I say, curtly. "I've just got to wait for Alice to finally check her voicemail."

"I could give you a ride, if you'd like. Alice might check her voicemail in two days, at best."

I shake my head. "No, I was supposed to meet her like ten minutes ago, so, I think she'll get the hint pretty quickly." I know he's only trying to be kind, but I'm trying to spare us both.

He shrugs. "Suit yourself…but I do have jumper cables in my car if it's your battery…" As he walks away, I strongly consider tagging after him.

Stubborn as I am, I sit down in one of the lobby chairs. I start to daydream. It's dangerous to leave me alone for long periods of time because I day dream about being married. And, just like in eighth grade, I day dream about my husband being Edward Cullen.

Alice picks me up with a tow truck an hour later.

I'm more depressed than ever when she announces that Jasper proposed, she's engaged, and I'm moving out of the house.

* * *

"No," I moan. "Go away! It's all your fault!" I swat at him.

I hear him laugh. "I think I require an explanation for that comment."

I sigh. "I don't know how it is, but it must be!" I cover my eyes with my hand and push back my hair.

Edward still laughs at me. "Do you at least have a ride home?"

"Yes," I mutter, taking another shot.

"Good," he says, "I can only imagine the terror on people's faces if they saw you drinking before you drove."

Already in a terrible mood, I spin around to face him on my bar stool. "Oh, would you…" and my eyes lock on his left hand which is conveniently located around the neck of his beer. My eyes widen in shock. I feel my face twisting in a confused expression. "You're not married," I say, matter-of-factly.

He nods, looking straight ahead. "My girlfriend actually dumped me today."

"Aww…" I say, sympathetically, though partially it was probably Jack Daniels talking. "I'm sorry! Did she at least tell you why?"

He looks at me surprised. "And why on earth does Bella Swan actually care about my love life?"

I snort. "I'm a relationship therapist. _Please_. It's all quite simple once you have a different perspective on it…maybe I could tell you where you went wrong…?" I figure my suggestion is not going to be humored.

He smiles. "Ok, all knowing Ms. Swan. She said she wasn't ready for a commitment."

"She rejected a marriage proposal?" I think I must look more surprised by this then the fact that he wasn't married.

"No…no…but she did find the ring." He takes a sip of his beer and leans back, seeming more comfortable. He's keeping me from drinking, and that's all I care about. "One of my friends hinted that I might be proposing and she dug around, found her ring and then she dumped me."

I put a consoling hand on his shoulder. "This must be hard. I'm sorry. How long were you dating?" I take a shot.

"Two weeks."

And my shot lands on him. "What?" I don't just giggle. I cackle. "And you see _nothing_ wrong with that? Absolutely nothing?"

He is occupied with wiping my drink and my spit off of his face. "We've known each other our entire lives. No, I saw absolutely nothing wrong with it."

I threw back a shot and then my chaser. "You see, this is why men should never make the move in a relationship because they always screw things up."

I must have offended him, but he smirked. "I think you've had a little too much."

I shake my head. "No, I'm fine…two weeks…" I giggle.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

I smirk. "Probably not."

He shakes his head. "You are a piece of work."

"Thank you."

He takes another drink. I just study him. I study the way he moves, the way his muscles contract…He doesn't seem to mind, if he catches me. Suddenly, his voice jerks me back to reality and I think I'm going to fall off my stool.

"You know, I've always wanted a family…and I don't think I'm meant for that." I sigh. I glance back at my friends, Rosalie, eight months pregnant with a very protective Emmett hovering over her, Alice with her ever adoring Jasper, Angela with Ben…and then there was me. I was alone.

"Buddy," I mutter. "You're preaching to the choir." Inspiration suddenly strikes me. "Wait…I have an idea!" I stand up. I need to pace and illustrate my plan. "What if I said I could have you completely marriageable in thirty days?" I pace back and forth in the crowded bar between his stool and mine.

Edward laughs. "I'd say you're drunk."

"No, no," I shake my head. "I've only had a few shots…but, what if I could do it _and_ guarantee you'd be engaged by the end of those thirty days?"

Edward shakes his head. "I'm so used to having people humor me that I'm curious as to where you're going with this."

I smile. "That's the spirit!" I stop and grab another shot. "First things first, we fix all of your problems: what you believe in women, your belief in loving some BODY rather than somebody, and all of the common misconceptions you clearly have…and we start tomorrow!" I smile. I have a feeling it's rather creepy just due to the way that he looks at me credulously.

"So…what you're telling me is that you are going to have me married in thirty days?"

I shrug. "More or less."

Edward shakes his head. "I'll humor you…and remember you are free to back out of this hair brained plan in the morning."

"Not happening," I say, smiling, taking up my last shot. "To having thirty days to get you a girl!"

He lifts his beer in my direction. "Thirty days to wed."

I sigh. "And I will be so proud when I succeed!"

Edward laughs. "You're pushing your luck…and now I think that your friends have been expecting you at a party for quite a while."

I nod, vigorously. "Yeah, yeah. I know." I glance around for something to write on, grab up a napkin and then steal the pen out of Edward's shirt pocket. "Meet me at this address at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. We'll make plans for later in the day after we meet." I write my name underneath it and fold it, sticking it in his pocket. "See you tomorrow, Edward!"

He smiles his half smile at me. "And the same to you, Ms. Swan."

After toasting me, I go off to my friends and wait for him to join us later.

Even though that never happens, I have a good feeling about this. Maybe, in helping him, I can help myself and stop getting in horrible relationships.

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**Like? Hate? Have Suggestions?...Why does it feel like I'm doing a commercial for a dating hotline...?**


	2. Day One: Love Has Steps

**Disclaimer: If I owned the characters, I would be doing one of two things: swimming in my cash or spending lots of it on those stupid infomercial. (Because sometimes they can convince me...)**

**I know this is very late in coming, so I have a proposition for you all. I was thinking about setting up a blog for my fanfiction so that I could just tell you all on there because I kept thinking about getting on to give you author's notes and then thinking it was a waste. You guys really don't need my excuses, you need me to write! Ha ha. So, in your review, send some feedback on that idea.**

**This is definitely not my best because this story, while I have like the last fifteen chapters written...the first one took four rewrites and two editors. I would love criticism on it!**

**So, I'm moving out of the way! Have fun!**

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Day One: Love Has Steps…

"No, no, no!" I shake my head as I slam the palm of my hand against my desk. I have to keep telling myself that I will not kill him. I have to keep reminding myself that the pounding headache is not caused by him but the questionable last shot I took at the bar last night. I also have to keep reminding myself that I am the one who said that I did not want to be paid for any of this. "You can never assume that two women are the same! And for the love of God, where did you learn your pick up lines?" Maybe it's just that Alice came to wake me up at six o'clock this morning, but it seems that every word that comes out of Edward Cullen's mouth, no matter how beautiful, kills me a little bit.

"Well, what do you want me to say? Do you think that I really would use a line on a woman?"

"YES!" I almost screech at him. I take a deep breath realizing that it is only eight-thirty and that I really have gone off the deep end. I begin pacing around my black and white art deco office, wondering why he can't be like normal guys and just be a pig.

Note to self, I am never going to suggest role-playing as the first step to repairing or getting a relationship ever again.

I sigh. "Ok…Let me explain it to you." _Slowly_, I think. _As childishly as possible._ "The kind of girl I see you with wants you to come up, say 'hello', maybe buy them a drink…and then do nothing else! Get her number only if she offers it. Do not do anything that suggests you are even remotely desperate…even though I really don't foresee that happening ever. You want a quality relationship, not a one night stand…even though the kind of girl I see you with probably expects that and nothing more."

I suddenly realize nothing that came out of my mouth made sense and shake my head weakly.

"Did you get any of that?" I murmur, without much hope.

He seems just as annoyed by me as I am by him. "All I get out of that is you can only imagine any woman remotely attracted to me as a tramp."

I grimace. I don't think I said it in so many words…

"I'm sorry," I say, tiredly. "I'm just having a very hard time understanding how you never figured out how to get a girl to like you! What did you do in college? Attract them on a looks basis only?"

I see his crooked smile playing across his lips. "More or less."

I give him another exasperated sigh. "You really are a piece of work!"

"I believe I told you the same thing last night."

At this I pause. "Touchee…" I mutter. "Now why did you never tell me you were a smart alek?"

He stands up. "How are you going to help me if we can't even be in the same room without fighting?"

I take a step forward. "You know, you have unearthed one more problem I have to solve today and that is why you don't show your true self to women."

He raises an eyebrow. "I don't follow."

"I mean," I explain again, softly, "You were so lovely, gentlemanly last night. Now I learn you are terribly quick tongued and horribly frustrated too early in a conversation." When it becomes clear to me that he is not going to speak, I sit down in my leather chair. "I have something easier to do…what do you look for in a woman?"

I don't know if he's going to sit down again or not and, when he begins pacing, I almost think that he's going to leave the room. His voice startles me to some extent. "She needs to be smart, very quick on her feet…in a way, fiery…" I begin to jot down a few other choice terms on the pad of paper in front of me without listening to much of what he's actually saying. I mentally catalogue anyone I know who fits that description and come up blank. I draw doodles, vaguely listening. Just as I am coming to the conclusion that he is looking for the perfect Czech supermodel, I hear his last words. "A lot like my ex-girlfriend."

I stop short. "What?"

"I want someone who is a lot like my ex-girlfriend," he says.

I take a deep breath. "Did you love her?"

"She's a start."

I smirk. "But you didn't answer the question: did you love her?"

I notice that even he has to think about that. "Yes, I did."

"Common misconception: You want to love some BODY…what did you like about her intellectually?" I begin, knowing that this could take me days.

"She had the ability to draw anyone into a conversation, to make them interested."

"And?" Before he can open his mouth, I hear my cell phone buzz. "Hold on. Sorry! Normally I wouldn't answer, but it is Saturday and there are maybe two people in the world who know that I'm working right now." I shrug my apologies with an innocent face and then look at the text message.

**Your truck is fixed. Alice told me you had to go into work today. Sorry. –Jacob**

I shake my head. Only Jacob Black would interrupt me at work.

**Thanks for fixing the truck so quickly. I'm sorry that it broke again. At work right now. May not answer texts immediately. **

I throw the phone on the corner of my desk. Edward raises an eyebrow as it rings again before I can even open my mouth. "Do we need to cut this meeting short?"

I shake my head and pick up the phone again. "I don't think he understands the concept of 'working'," I say by way of apology.

**Race tonight. 7 o'clock? Meet you at the track.**

And he still doesn't understand that I don't speak car and driver. I decide to type a response that won't be committal, but will not let him down too terribly.

**I'll try. May have to work late. Patient is kind of psycho**.

I switch my ringer off. "Anyhow…Why don't you give your ex a call?" I suggest. "It would actually give me some idea of where we need to start working if I saw the two of you together…Maybe ask her out tonight…I have VIP status at a couple of restaurants here. I'm sure they wouldn't mind…"

Edward stops my daydream plots. "She did break up with me _yesterday_. You do understand that concept, yes?"

I blow my hair out of my face. "Yeah, I get that, but, I mean, if she really liked you, why wouldn't she give you the chance to make amends?" I smile, pulling my striped tunic sweater's hem in nervous fascination at the way he is studying me. I feel like a sixteen year old all over again. I shake that feeling, but I only move on to pulling at the seams on my jeans.

He looks at me incredulously. "You do realize it isn't even nine o'clock on a Saturday, don't you?"

That gives me pause. "Oh," I glance at the clock before sinking back in my chair. "Well, since I have determined you are completely adept on a date, I'm not really sure what's left for _me_ to do today except wait around for you to get up the nerve to call your girlfriend…" My stomach growls shortly after I finish my sentence. I see him smirk. I smile, unnerved. "Have you had breakfast?"

And so, I ended up on a short walk from my office to a bagel shop, complete with scarf and grey newsboy cap to shield me against the abnormally cold September first. All the while, I am rambling because I can't stand his silence. If I'm in solitude, silence is beautiful. If I'm with someone else, I feel a little unnerved if they aren't speaking to me.

"You have to try at least one of these bagels. They are amazing. They have this one bagel that is apple flavored. It's to die for," I say, knowing I am only talking out of nervous energy and my six o'clock coffee.

Edward must find me amusing. "I've already eaten, but I see no point in you going hungry."

I almost stop short. "See? You can be very tame without being condescending," I say with a smile on my face. I feel like it is far too playful for the situation, so I stop smiling almost immediately. "Treat this as a pretend date. I'll coach you through it a little…It could be 'helpful'." I feel like my suggestion is probably lost.

He laughs at me. "Nice concept, but I've never had a 'date' at nine o'clock in the morning."

I shrug. "First time for everything?" I suggest as I grab the door handle to the coffeehouse styled shop. "Come on. Humor me."

He rolls his eyes and takes the door from me. "I'm sure I will soon be doing a lot of that. I feel like you came up with all of this to torture me."

I shake my head and unwind my scarf from my neck. "No, but that has crossed my mind…" I mutter it as soon as I know that the girl behind the counter is going to take my order. As soon as they hand me the aluminum foil wrapped bagel, I reach for my wallet, but Edward has already handed the cashier cash. I give him a confused look as I fumble with the bottle of iced tea I am carrying.

"What?" He looks at me with mock awe. "It is a date, isn't it?" His smile is too dazzling to argue with and I mutter something about paying him back before going to sit at one of the tables outside.

As I unwrap my bagel, I begin talking, trying to quell the awkwardness of being here with him. "So," I begin, "If this was a date, what would you be saying right now?"

"Well," he begins. "This being a hypothetical date, I would compliment you, tell you how beautiful your eyes are and tell you that your hat is covering them too much for my liking…hypothetically, of course." His smile tops off the speech and I think I must be blushing because I feel my cheeks burning, so I find an excuse to look down.

When I finally get the nerve, I look up at him through my lashes. "That's a start." When I see that he isn't going to respond, I decide to lecture a little. "You see, here's something most people don't understand. Love has steps. That's how you know it's love."

Edward raises an eyebrow. I see his crooked, tight lipped smile. "So, no love at first sight for Ms. Bella Swan?"

I shake my head. "No such thing," I murmur. I don't mention that the first time I saw him I decided that I would marry him. That's not love, that's being twelve years old. "It's like when people say they fell in love with their one night's stand. It's not love, it's lust. That's the first step of love, but it never goes past that for most people."

Edward leans his arm against the table. "And this is something you've experienced quite often?"

I stammer, "N-no!" I feel appalled. I was not going to admit that I really had no idea what I was talking about where personal experience was concerned. "You are the biggest smart alek I've ever met!"

He laughs. "I'm only kidding, Bella. But you seem to know about a lot of things that you've 'never experienced'." He smiles by way of a second apology, or possibly just to egg me on.

I open my mouth to talk and end up looking at my bagel. "I'm a relationship therapist. I see all of it often enough. I know what you're thinking, six years of college to study psycho-therapy and I choose the most mundane form…and I still see the same sick, twisted people. I see problems that I can fix and problems that I just have to stumble through with the couples. That and I've read up on the subject and I've been on enough horrible dates to know that no matter how good a person looks, there is no such thing as love at first sight."

After a rather long, awkward pause in which I chew over most of my bagel, it seems like I found the reason he can't keep a girl. After studying him, he not only looks like a Grecian god, but he has the air of one. He's silent, brooding, looking around as if he might cause injury to the first person to so much as look at him. He makes a woman his property without meaning to, like some fairytale knight protecting a charge. He makes other people afraid and the air for some women is probably too oppressive. I sigh between bites and drink my iced tea, waiting…

He decides to change the subject after a length of time that would probably have made most people more unnerved than I was and less better people would have been reduced to tears. "So…lust?"

I raise an eyebrow. "That's the first step. There is also compromise and then commitment. I believe that you thought you and your ex had been through the first two steps." I glance at my phone to see that an hour has already passed and Jacob has left me innumerable text messages. "Do you have to go in at the hospital today?"

He smirks. "Avoiding confrontation?" I don't bother to shake my head because he continues. "I'm due in at noon today. I'll work until about eight unless they need someone to cover the night shift and then I'll work until around four in the morning. And my view on the world is much more obscured than yours, it would seem."

I open my mouth, thinking over his question, but end up biting my lip in confusion. "How so?" I don't understand what he's trying to get at. I actually feel quite defensive. I'm the therapist. I should know better than he what is going on in his own life and just how twisted his view of the world is.

He looks me square in the face. "I don't see myself as a romantic, but I see you as a cynic. You don't believe that love can be instantaneous. While I don't disagree with you, I believe that if two people were meant to be together that nothing is going to stop them."

I'm about to question him when I hear something very near to me beeping. I look up and he is checking a pager. I know he's about to rush away, a little too conveniently. Yes, I've been in the ER enough times that I can identify the brand and make of the pagers all of the doctors wear. While I'm not upset, I do feel disappointment sinking into my mind, corrupting me. I was bored was all that it boiled down to.

"I believe that's my cue. My guess is someone didn't show up for their shift." His look is apologetic. "I'm sorry to cut our 'date' short…but if you have any homework for me…?"

Even though his look is humorous and my answering look is probably less composed than it should be, I reply, "Talk to your ex…"

"Tanya," he corrects me. "If we're going to be talking about her, you might as well have a name."

"Yes," I say, a bit too smugly, thinking something along the lines of _so she is a Czech model_. "Talk to Tanya. Set up a date with her for tomorrow night."

Edward nods, though the air with which he does so makes me feel like an oppressive overlord. "Then, per your orders, I shall attempt to talk to her."

I make note of the word 'attempt'. "How about another breakfast date tomorrow, then?"

Edward already seems far detached, so his answering 'yes' to me as he walks away is a pretty assured 'no'.

When I lay down that night to sleep, I can't shake the feeling that I've forgotten something. And, sure enough, I wake up to my phone reading two texts. One clearly stating that I let down Jacob Black-again-and the other one is pretty self explanatory, even though it's from an unknown number.

**Breakfast tomorrow. I'll see you at your office.**

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	3. Day Two: The First Step Must Be Anger…

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the concept and I would write this is French if I thought I wouldn't get in trouble for the disclaimer being unlegible! *smiles***

**I'm back to this story. I know...my fingers and brain are like bipolar...so...Two Blue Lines is on a possible hiatus...I have the next chapter written...I just need to edit it...and that's what killed me. I'll put that up before hiatusing the story...but I decided I needed to come back to this one...It's the whole write how you feel concept. I'm feeling this now.**

**Sorry the update is so long, but review?**

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Day Two: The First Step Must Be Anger…

I shake my hair out as I sit at the bar in one of Seattle's most expensive restaurants. I had to pull strings to get Edward and his girlfriend in here…and their date ended horribly. All because he wouldn't listen to me.

I fume over my soda. He's lucky he wasn't forcibly removed. He's also lucky they didn't call the cops on Tanya.

I really don't think he understands a very basic concept of dating.

When the date ends with you covered in either food or a pitcher of the nearest beverage, your date did not go well. I can only shake my head and reflect on my day to decide whether I could have prevented this.

I decided that it was definitely Edward's fault.

---

It's eight o'clock. I'm right on time, coffee in hand, clothes actually on the right way, no tags sticking out and no mismatched underwear flashing the thin stream of people who have also parked their car behind my office building. This is a feat on a Sunday morning. I had even made up missing Jacob's stupid car race! I was feeling very proud of myself as I walked up the stairs to my offices.

I was feeling good, that is, until I walked toward the door of my office and saw Edward Cullen leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

This makes me feel guilty about any of my pride. I feel guilty for the coordinated grey pinstriped pants and black sleeveless turtleneck, courtesy his sister. I feel guilty about the jewelry and the rather reigned in hair. I feel guilty that I had time to put on mascara, lipgloss, and eyeliner before I left home.

In comparison to myself, Edward looks a perfect brooding Heathcliff to my glamorous Cathy. I mentally think about taking off the string of stone beads and gold earrings to blend in better with his battered jeans and pullover sweatshirt. When he opens his eyes, I assume because he hears me panting after my hike up the stairs, I decide I had better remain as is.

"Good morning," I muster, attempting to be cheery to distract myself from the deep circles under his piercing emerald eyes. Some motherly instinct told me that he had been unable to get sleep the night before and that he had made this appointment without knowledge of his inability to sleep. If it weren't for the fact that he had made it a point to show up at my office before me, I would tell him to go home and sleep.

He manages a tired, crooked smile in answer to me. "Good morning to you, too." I turn toward the door so that I could not see his face, hoping to leave him at ease. As I unlock the door, I hear him continue. "You seem very happy this morning."

I shrug. "I don't have much of a social life, so I threw myself in bed after I finished some work." I motion for him to proceed me in the office. "You, on the other hand, look like Hell." I think it comes out harsher than I intended and I purse my lips. It was very inappropriate, especially because he was a client. Not to mention Alice's brother. "I mean, you look like you've had a sleepless night," I amend as he sits down on my sofa. I decide to join him.

"There was a three car pileup and the passengers of the cars were all rushed to the hospital," he says, with a tired sigh. "It made for an interesting night at the hospital."

I raise an eyebrow. "I thought you were supposed to get off at eight."

"I did," he says, "I stayed to help with the patients because they were shorthanded." I wonder if he realizes he makes me feel like an idiot when he states the obvious like that.

I smirk, hoping to lighten the mood. "I was hoping to hear more details about you getting back with Tanya," I say it jokingly.

"Sorry, to disappoint you with the notion that my night was not filled with make-up sex."

My mouth falls on the floor. I decide distancing myself is the best thing to do. "I'm glad, actually, because I wouldn't want to hear it!" I don't know if I'm blushing I haven't heard the term 'make-up sex' since I left high school. I want to throttle him. No one messes with the sexually frustrated relationship therapist this early in the morning. "Excuse me for trying to joke with you." I take a deep breath. "You need to go back home and go to sleep."

Edward shakes his head. "Your attempts at modesty are very humorous."

I hand him my coffee, almost disgusted. "Here, you need this more than I do." I glance out the window. He really looks half asleep. I wonder if he even notices that he is currently drinking out of my mug with lipstick around the rim. I decide he doesn't even notice. I lean down and grasp his arm. "Let's go for breakfast." I say, trying to drag him after me to my bagel shop.

-

I feel guilty leaving him at the table alone. He seems rather morose. _It is not a good look for him_, I think, superficially. But it humanizes him and that is something I can appreciate; it a good thing to note, and a very good quality for all men. I make a mental note to give him a pep talk about it as I walk back outside to our table balancing his coffee with my bagel and tea.

As I set it down on the table, he glances up at me. He smiles his thanks as he picks up the coffee. I notice every detail of the way he picks it up, I watch him swallow the coffee, and there is something very distracting about just watching him. He is distracting. I have to think of something to make me stop. The first thing that comes to my mind will work. "I still owe you money for yesterday," I blurt.

He has put down the cup of coffee. He raises an eyebrow. "Are you going to sit down?" I nod and take my seat, resigned. "And, please, consider it a gift. It was only polite. Don't worry about paying me back."

Another good quality: Manners.

"You realize that you have very few flaws until you get to talking about relationships, don't you?" I say, jokingly, hoping that the change of subject will make him brighten.

He laughs. It's the first time I've heard him genuinely laugh and it startles me at first. I make another note that he is so sleep deprived that he is slaphappy. "Really? This from the woman who is meant to rip me to shreds?"

I try not to wince. "I'm feeling nice today?" I suggest this to him so that I don't degrade him anymore than I have already. "So, you said you needed to tell me something. Here's your chance. I'm listening. I'll try to keep you on track as much as I can, if you'd like.

He runs a hand through his hair. "Tanya agreed to meet with me. Something about she realized that by breaking up with me she had made a stupid mistake. It wasn't exactly the highlight of my night, but I thought you would be happy to know."

I nod. "And you told her that you'd meet with her tonight?" Even after he nodded mutely, I plowed on. "I know the perfect place. I'll get you in. No worries. Reservations will be taken care of…where are you staying?"

"My apartment," he says generally.

"Ok..." I mutter. "I was under the assumption you lived with Tanya, so I just assumed she'd kick you out."

"She did…for two days." I raise an eyebrow. "Anyway, that's not the point. Go on. What was your ingenious plan that is threatening to end in disaster?"

I glare. "I'll call you," I mutter. For a moment we sit in the awkward silence again, me staring down at the open bottle of iced tea, him studying me. I feel his eyes watching me. I know he has completely gone into his head. "What was the highlight of your night?"

"Hmm?" I repeat my question. "Looking after all of the patients, I supposed. The highlight was a young girl. She had been driving the car alone. She was only seventeen from what anyone can work out. Her driver's license wasn't exactly given to us. We got a name and a few other vague details. No one could get in touch with her family before she went in for a five hour surgery. She was so battered that it was hard to tell what was and wasn't seriously injured. She was a classic case. Four broken ribs, but one of her lungs completely collapsed, the other partially so. I sat with her in recovery until her parents arrived at the hospital." He shook his head. "There is nothing worse than waking up and realizing that you're alone."

It's not a hard thing to imagine. Edward plays the dark angel in my drama sitting next to the bed of a broken young girl. Even in the short story, I see that he did not do it out of a sense of duty, but because he honestly believed what he had said. I sigh. If I were in that girl's place, I think I would have been happy to wake up, no matter the pain I was in.

He was right in more ways than one: There is nothing worse than waking up to realize that you are alone in strange place, knowing that this is not where you originally were and not remembering much of what happened before you woke up in this alien location.

"Did Tanya expect you to come home?" I ask, mainly offhandedly. I didn't care either way.

He shrugs. "I don't know. Probably. She's always expecting someone to be at her beckon call. It's just the way people are toward her."

I sigh. "If it were me, I would be one happy girl to wake up in the recovery room with my doctor next to me." I smile. "It shows you really care about what you do."

He sighs. "Sometimes I wonder if that's the right thing."

I look sympathetically toward him, taking his hand. It shocks me to feel their warmth against my cold hand, so I immediately release it. "Of course it is. You can't let anyone tell you differently."

We sit there in silence, more companionable than awkward, or more tired than strained in Edward's case, for a very short period of time before I decide that Edward needs to sleep and I need to make preparations. "Go home, Edward. Get some rest. I'll call you and leave you a message with details. Make sure you call back when you get them." I stand up and wind my scarf around my neck. "I'll see you in a bit," I say with a smile. I have to wonder if he heard me. He's so tired that when he stands up and walks away, he doesn't acknowledge that I even said 'goodbye'.

I sit in the apartment I rented out across from my office. It was a safe haven for me. I had rented it in the instance that I was 'staying late' at my office, which is code for Jasper was spending the night at Alice's house. I really should consider moving in permanently now, considering the circumstances.

I play with my hair in front of the mirror. I told Edward seven. I had to pull strings, but I had gotten everything taken care of. I would just hope that Edward got my message. My phone had gone unanswered as I took a long soak in the bathtub and did my natural make-up. It was all I can manage to do with a make-up brush. Alice could have made me look glamorous, but it wasn't exactly my date.

I sigh as I glance at my clock. Six-twenty-five. I look to make sure I have a voice message from Edward before checking it to get his terse 'Got your message' and run out the door in my tea length dress.

I hate going to restaurants. I mean that in a general sense as I shrug my wrap up higher on my shoulders. Walking is easier than driving when the restaurant is five minutes away. Inner city streets aren't very crowded.

I love how, when I arrive, the maitre d' doesn't even bother to look at me. She smiles, tells me that I can sit where I like and I think about wiping the smug smile off Ms. Lauren's face…at least I hope I read her name tag right. If only she knew I wasn't here alone, per se. I see my inside source of the restaurant at the bar and take a seat.

"Hi, Zafrina!" She smiles at me, her Amazon looks contrasting with her black work uniform. She has her long black hair in a braid down her back and her deep eyes shimmer as she looks around the room.

"What can I get for you, Bella?" She glances around. "I see you didn't bring anyone here to scare off!" She laughs.

I shrug. "I'm here on business and you know the prices here would scare anyone who wasn't a millionaire. I'm here for a client." I look toward the door, hoping for a glimpse of Edward as he walked in. I could see it now, like a commercial for designer suits. "Any kind of soda would be wonderful." Zafrina nods, sets a glass in front of me, and then I turn toward the door.

I'm very early. I feel like an idiot watching and waiting for him. He's not even my date, but the feeling of anticipation just for a glimpse of him was terrifying. Even after waiting fifteen minutes to see him, I was not disappointed to watch him open the door and walk in. I wasn't even disappointed by the gorgeous, leggy blonde on his arm, even though my ego deflated at an alarming rate when I saw her. I was just happy to see him in his immaculate suit with a crooked smile on his face as he talked to the maitre d' who gazed longingly at him.

I had to remind myself that I was here to make notes, not to defend my claim on a client. I also noted that Tanya did not look one bit worried by the fact that someone else was flirting with Edward. I jotted that down on a napkin.

Zafrina leaned over the bar. "That guy?" She guessed, looking at Edward. I nod. She smiles. "He should have no trouble with anything. As a matter of fact, I'd more than happily sleep with that."

I feel like slapping her. I purse my lips and remind myself again that Edward is out of my league. Why am I even discussing this with myself?

I glance back at the napkin. "He has problems understanding the concept of love and attraction."

Zafrina rolls her eyes. "Uh-huh. Completely adept whereas who he should be attracted to, he is not. That's why he's got that bean pole hanging onto him like he's a life preserver." Zafrina smirks. "You're observing?"

I nod. "Kind of. I'm hoping he can do well on his own." _So I can get rid of him._ I really don't like this not being able to fix this. I fix things…immediately. He's the exception to the rule.

"Did he come to you with a specific problem?" Zafrina asks.

"No…" I purse my lips. "I bet him I could have him as good as married in thirty days…and I was very possibly intoxicated."

Zafrina laughs. "Good job, Bella Swan…I toast to your success."

Zafrina leaves to tend to someone down the bar and I watch the maître d' seat Edward and tall-blonde-and drop-dead-gorgeous, possibly known as Tanya. They're seated too far away from me. I can't hear them. This means my note is going to be minimum. I'm going to have to read body language…I should invest in spy equipment…bugs and microphones seem like the best idea I currently have.

I need to stop going to movies with Alice and Rose.

I decide to catalogue what they order instead of doing anything else. I take notes and study them for another half hour. I watch water, wine, and food that I couldn't afford to have put on my company charge delivered to their table. I make a mental note to order a pizza when I get home after I feel my mouth watering. But, the two seem congenial…except he seems awkward, to say the least. Tanya, relaxed, leaning over the table, flirtatious, occasionally touching his hand…but he's nothing like Tanya. It's like he's on the defensive. I write that on my napkin.

"So…tall dark and handsome seems not to be so into the model…" Zafrina says, as if it should be laden with implications.

I roll my eyes. "Duly noted. He asked her to marry him. Do you think he's afraid of her rejecting him again?" I glance up at Zafrina. We love to play this game.

Zafrina shrugs. "Eh, I'm not so sure. He's sitting perfectly straight. That's kind of awkward for any human being. He's being…cautious…"

I laugh. "He thinks she'll throw the pitcher of water at him."

Zafrina smirks. "I would. That girl doesn't look like she could fight if she wanted to."

I think about this, before responding. "She is almost six foot tall…"

"Rosalie could still kick her ass!" Zafrina holds.

I roll my eyes. "Rosalie could kick Emmett's ass and he wouldn't even be going easy on her!"

I hear an exasperated sound come from one of the tables, but I don't bother turning around. I hear the clink of ice against expensive plastic, like something in a mass amount being poured out. I hear other people murmuring in the restaurant. Zafrina's eyebrows rise. I wince. "That wasn't…" Zafrina nods. I cover my face with my hands. "Oh, no."

Zafrina puts a hand on the bar. "Changing your drink?"

I shake my head. "Do I even want to look?" I groan.

Zafrina smirks. "Well…your options are look or I can sneak you out the back."

I groan. "If I put my head down, maybe he won't notice me…"

Zafrina rolls her eyes. "Come on, let's go to the back." She takes my arm, as if she can drag me around the back. I shake her off. Zafrina looks back to a screaming Tanya. I try not to pay attention. "Let's get you out before heads start rolling, Bella."

I shake my head. "Nah, thanks." I scribble more things about asking about the fight, asking what he did wrong this time… "I think I'm going to just drink some more coke."

Zafrina gets another glass and sets it in front of me. She looks up. "Good luck. You're going to need it."

I glance at her. "Have they escorted them both out?"

Zafrina shakes her head. "Just Tanya…but you may never be able to make a reservation here again."

"And Edward?"

Zafrina looks over my shoulder. "Has disappeared…that guy pulls a disappearing act, too! My God! He's like my ex on steroids! Never there when you need him!" I zone out on this rant. It is definitely not my place to intervene in the ex boyfriend rant.

My cell phone rings. I sigh, pulling it out of my bag. I see Edward's number on the screen and pout. I answer. "I don't even want to talk to you, Edward." I cross my arms and lean toward the bar.

I hear Edward laugh on the other end.

"I'm serious. I am convinced that you are just perpetually going to mess up my life and yours while you're at it!" I take a drink of my coke as I listen to him.

"You have every right to be angry with me," he says, though his voice hints at a smile.

I sigh. "Again! You've got the detail down! You know to always agree with the female! What happens in your mind?" I shake my head. "For the present, where are you?"

"Sitting in my car. And I have a sister, a mother, and have had several girlfriends. I know better than to contest a woman." He's joking with me, again. I like this about him. Why the hell can no one else like this about him?

I stir my coke with the straw. "Do you have anywhere to stay now? I mean, I assume that Tanya isn't going to be the best thing to go home to…"

He sighs. "Bella, don't worry about me."

I pause. "Is that code for 'do you have a couch you'd be willing to lend out'?" I find that my joking anger is subsiding, being replaced by some kind of odd emotion. It's not joy, far from it. But he's made me much calmer, by joking with me. By acting as if the entire thing is his fault.

He laughs again. His laugh is a welcome sound, at least. "Are you offering the use of your couch?"

"Are you asking for the use of my couch?" I retort, clipping the sentence. I take another drink. Zafrina is studying me. I watch her eyebrows raise.

"You are not letting him stay with you!" Zafrina whispers, leaning closer to me. I roll my eyes. "What do we even know about this guy? Except he's attractive and gets beaten up by his girlfriend!"

"Hold on, Mr. Cullen," I say, putting the phone against my shoulder. "Zafrina, he's Alice's brother. I don't think he's capable of doing anything to me, anyhow…and he hasn't even asked if he can stay the night, ok?...and don't give me that face! I'm going to put him on the couch!"

Zafrina shrugs. "I wouldn't put him on the couch…I'm telling you I'd take advantage of the situation."

I level her a very serious look. "Are you bipolar?"

She laughs. "Sometimes." She stalks off to help another customer.

"Anyhow…were you asking for a place to stay?" I begin anew.

Edward is silent for a moment. "Do you have a couch?"

I laugh. "Alright. But you're hauling me back to my apartment…and do you have any extra clothes to wear? I'm sure that walking around soaking wet is going to be a problem."

He laughs. "I think I can manage something."

I smile. Angry as I am at him, he's now playing on my turf. I suddenly remember I'm supposed to be angry with him. "Good," I say, trying to sound angered once more. "I'll meet you in the parking lot?"

"It seems you're the one giving the orders, so, whatever you say goes."

I smile as I snap my phone shut. Zafrina comes back to me. "And what do you think of him now?"

I realize I'm smiling at my reflection in my cell phone and muster my best disapproving face. "He's barely tolerable."

Zafrina leans down onto the bar. "Uh-huh…" She looks around and whispers conspiratorially. "You might want to tell miss model to watch her back or it might be you getting married in thirty days."

We both can't help giggling. "Shut up, Zafrina!" I shake my head. "He's not even on my playing field," I say, as I check the text messages on my phone. All of them are from Jacob.

Zafrina looks over my shoulder at the screen. "And Jacob Black is?" Her face looks skeptical.

I shake my head, all traces of a smile gone. "Zafrina…please…Jake is a friend…I gotta go…Edward's waiting on me."

Zafrina waves me off, but I know she's dying to say something. I won't give her the satisfaction of having the last word and I didn't need to confront the fact that Jacob Black had higher expectations of our relationship than I did.

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**Review for a cookie and a quote. I've written two more chapters of this, so in two days, I'll post the next chapter if you review! Be nice? Sorry it was long! Can you tell I'm on excedrin for my headache and it makes me act loopy?**

**BlkTgrRdrse**


	4. Day Three: Sometimes

**Disclaimer: I own nothing or I would not be poor right now.**

**This was never meant to go on hiatus. I'm back now for a while. I ended up in a class this semester that I was not supposed to be in. I was the assistant and the teacher changed my entire schedule so I could take the class. Not only am I not getting paid, I'm in over my head in an advanced psych class. I haven't even taken the prereqs for it. How does this happen?**

**I didn't even edit it because I saw someone favoriting this story and said 'I need to get back to this'. So, I decided to post what I have. I will work on Chapter 4 later.**

**Sorry, my lovely readers! Please comment on all grammar and plot mistakes you see! I will fix them, of course!**

Day Three: Sometimes, Men Are Just…Difficult…

"No, Alice! You don't understand! This is not good! I have to get out of the house!" I hiss into the cell phone.

Alice sighs on the other end. "You do realize that you really have a room here. The apartment was your idea."

I bite my lip, my eyes narrowing. "You really don't understand, Alice!"

I shouldn't be able to, but I know that I hear her rolling her eyes on the other end of the phone. "You're angry because he's cooking for you. I find it irrational. But, yes, I understand why you're mad."

I purse my lips, leaning the small of my back against the glass top of my desk. "I haven't cooked in four years since I opened my own practice. I'm a size eight for a reason! I survive on granola bars and fast food. This is like the complete reversal of every gender roll I have ever been programmed to believe."

"Well, at least he's making himself useful," comes the bored response from the other end of the line. "Just because he can watch the Food Network and can cook doesn't completely emasculate him," she says. I have a very clear image that she's filing her nails on the other end of the line.

I roll my eyes. She's not following me. "He's no longer a client and he's definitely not just your brother anymore when he's cooking for me. He's becoming my roommate!"

"Your point is what?" I feel like she knew this entire thing was going to happen. As I lean back against my desk, I can't help but wonder how I myself into this mess. This seems to have become the longest three days of my life.

And it was only Monday.

* * *

I'm drying my hair when I smell it: Bacon and eggs.

How long has it been since I had bacon and eggs?

I turn off the hair drier and venture out into the kitchen. I'm hoping for take-out from a diner. I'm not expecting to see Edward cooking. I really would prefer not to have seen him cooking. It just meant more mess for me to clean up later.

But, I walk into my kitchen to see Edward cooking, nonetheless.

I think I am about fall over in my high heeled boots, the accessories I knew I shouldn't wear. This is new. I think I need to pick up my jaw from the floor. I think of what Zafrina would say. Too bad I'm not getting married in thirty days…

There is a shirtless man in my kitchen wearing blue jeans that hang perfectly on his hips. Can you blame me? Seriously?

I'm seriously rethinking reading my trashy romance novels before bed.

Edward is making up a plate, otherwise, I think I would have gone unnoticed. He smiles at me. "Good morning, Bella." His crooked smile makes me lose my footing.

I shake my head. "You do realize that I don't need breakfast," I say, taking the plate from his hand and setting it on the island counter. I sit on the stool and wait for him to sit next to me. I try not to stare at his beautifully toned chest, so smooth that male models would cry at the perfection while the beautiful women of the world trailed after him instead of pursuing other fantasies.

My opinion only, but can't you see it?

I follow the trail of his abs with my eyes until the V of bronze hair I've unconsciously been following disappears under the waist band of his jeans. My mind delves straight into the gutter as far as fantasies are concerned and I think my face is, again, red. It should take a lot to shock me, but, with him, it didn't take much at all. He never did anything expected or orthodox while, at the same time, being extremely traditional and orthodox!

In all of the years I have been listening to freakish sexual fantasies, disturbing encounters and various relationship and marital problems, I had never met anyone like HIM.

He catches me staring. I snap my head away. He is smiling. I see it out of the corner of my eye. "Something wrong?" he asks as he pulls up a stool to sit next to me. I bristle. I can't live like this.

I think I'm on the edge of my chair. "No," I reply, fauxly smiling. "What on earth could make you ask that?"

I see his knowing smile as he spears a piece of his omelet. "No reason in particular." After this, the awkward silence ensues. We usually eat like this, I've noticed. I would love to have a meal with stimulating conversation, but his being half-naked bothers my hormones.

I jump when he speaks. "So, what is the plan for the day?" He asks, not bothering to acknowledge that it is Monday morning. I have to work, I know, but I also know that I took this morning off for a reason: I am on a mission.

"I'm taking you apartment hunting," I say, nonchalantly. "At least then, until Tanya tells you it's alright to move back in, you have a place to sleep."

He feigns hurt. "I've only lived here for eight hours and I'm being evicted off of the couch. What shall I do now?"

I hit him playfully with my napkin. "Oh, grow up. I told you I was helping you look." I realize that I am being far too relaxed with a client, especially Alice's brother, but I can't help it. He has the ability to make something in me snap and I can't help but to treat him as if I have known him forever. I suddenly realize he didn't protest this at all. I look at him confused."Don't you have to go into work today?"

He shook his head. "According to my higher ups, I have been putting in too much time in the hospital and they can't possibly understand how I sleep, eat, or, for that matter function after a sixty-five hour work schedule."

I think my mouth drops. "Wait, wait, wait...you seriously work almost 10 hours a day every day of the week?"

Edward looks at me as if there is nothing wrong with this. I'm only awake sixteen hours of my day and, personally, only half of those are spent doing serious work, if I'm lucky. Most of the time, I work from eight to four with an hour lunch break and a couple thirty minute sessions to sit back and do nothing. Something tells me Edward is constantly working. I'm a little upset with this. He's working so much he never sees his family and friends. I'm actually slightly surprised that he even came to celebrate his sister's engagement at the bar. How did he find the time? This has to put a strain on his relationships. Is that the entire underlying problem?

I feel maternal instinct take over and want to protect him and send him back to bed. I don't. I keep my mouth shut. "So, they forced you to take some time off?" I say it dryly. I hope he doesn't read it as bitter. I play with my omelet.

He shrugged. "Not in so many words, but, yes."

"Ah," I say, trying to sound uninterested.

He shakes his head. "You want to say it, so go ahead."

I raise an eyebrow. "Say what?"

He continues eating, more interested in his food than in me...or so it appears. "Your face lit up as soon as we started talking about work. It looked like you solved world hunger...theoretically."

I smiled. "Anything I have to say would make you question my sanity."

He smiles to himself. "Insanity is a good thing at times."

I sighed. "I'm just thinking, with your schedule, how do you have any fun? How do you even see Tanya other than when you collapse into bed?" He doesn't answer immediately and I turn toward him, putting down my fork so I can pay attention to him. "It's not my place to judge...yes, it is, that's a lie...but that has to put a strain on any relationship."

He shrugged. "I try not to notice if I feel as if someone thinks I've cut them off. I try to pick up where we left off the last time I saw them. Most of the people I find important understand that I can't be there all the time." He didn't act like this mattered to him.

I raise an eyebrow. "I bet that puts a damper on wanting a family. I mean, women want a man to stick around; they're co-dependent in a lot of circumstances. A lot of women think men want the to be the submissive one. They think they must always be the one to fulfill the stereotype so they become domineering." I wave a had for emphasis.

He looks at me seriously. "And, you, Bella? Are you also an oxymoron?"

I laugh. "Meaning?"

He is still serious. "Do you believe that a woman cannot think for herself?"

I shake my head. "I need the room to think for myself. Of course, that could be why I'm still single. I'm picky."

Edward picks up our plates, even though I'm not quite sure I'm done with mine. "Maybe some people are better off 'picky'."

I shrug, not wanting to continue this conversation. "Hurry up and put a shirt on. We need to get to meet with the first landlord."

Edward, taking the hint laughs and walks toward my couch, giving me a lovely view of his toned rear.

I want to groan in frustration.

Flaw: Edward is a tease...because he is attractive...

* * *

I have to be in to work at eleven. Edward is not making this difficult. We have looked at four different apartments in an hour. It's nine-thirty.

He's picky. Flaw.

He has yet to actually go through one apartment all the way. He walked straight out of one, stating immediately that it was too crowded for his liking. They had barely spent five minutes in each apartment and she was actually happy they had made it through the first three rooms of this one.

_We're actually going to make it through this one_, I can't help but think. _I won't have him walking around my house, tempting me to tell him to forget the entire ordeal because he was impossible._

I am so happy to see the kitchen that I feel like I might cry. I can go to work now, have him drop me off…

It would be glorious. I won't have to deal with the diva any more.

I don't need to listen to the landlord's speal. I know this is it. Edward has a new home. I will be at work on time…

"Thank you," he says, as genuinely as he can muster. I can now tell when he is only 'being nice.' This is one of those times. I cringe. He blows him off nicely, at least. "The tour was excellent."

He took my arm in a gentlemanly fashion and escorted me out. As soon as we were out of hearing range of the landlord, I groaned. "What was wrong with that one?"

He looks at me, confused. "What makes you think there was anything wrong with that one?"

I glared. "I took sociology, too," I mutter. "In three days, you are as open as a book to me, which, though confusing, as you are a man, I do not find this extremely startling."

He smiled as we walked to the parking lot. "It was the kitchen," he said, as if he knew the next words out of his mouth were going to be absolutely ridiculous.

"Was there something wrong with it?" I really am confused. I saw nothing wrong with the kitchen. It looked like every kitchen I had ever seen before. I mean, the place wasn't massive, but it was an apartment. There is only so much space…

"Not really," he said, stopping close to his car. "It…" he laughed. "It was actually the tile."

I didn't pay much attention to the tile. "What about it?" Was it chipped? Was it not put down right? Was if bubbling? I would have paid no mind anyhow.

"It didn't match the walls," he said, opening my door.

I stop. My face twists into frustration. "So, you mean to tell me you aren't going to get an apartment because _that_ one just so happened to have tile that didn't go with the _white_ walls?"

Edward shrugged, closing my door after I slid in. "It would have bothered me."

I throw up my hands. "Then put down a rug!" I rave. "Or put down a new floor! You're an intellectual. I'm sure you can do it if I can!"

He raised an eyebrow at me, suggesting, once more, my insanity. "You don't have any pet peeves, do you?"

I stop for a second. Did I?

His behavior was my current pet peeve.

That song 'Tik Tok' by Ke$ha ranked up there, too…

"None that I care to mention," I say, nonchalantly. If he turned on the radio after he'd forced me to go in his car, however, we'd have a different story entirely.

He shook his head. "I can't believe that nothing bothers you," he informs me as he starts the car. "I would think that you would eventually get tired of making everyone around you happy."

I start. "What makes you think I strive to make everyone else happy?"

His expression doesn't change as he calmly back his car out and begins the too long drive back to my apartment. "You had to keep texting Jacob while we were out to breakfast. The first time I offered to help you, you were rushing off to satisfy the demands of my sister, who is far too pushy, by the way." I grimace, glancing over to make sure he is still watching the road. "You actually haven't done one selfish thing since I saw you at the ER. I would say that there is room for improvement."

I cross my arms. "There is nothing wrong with making sure my friends are content!"

He laughs. "Yes, except that you do so in an inhuman way," he sounds serious, even though his face is still bright from laughter. I like that face. I note this mentally. He needs more laughter. "You're only human, Bella. It's okay to make a mistake every now and then."

I smile. "You've been making a lot of those lately, haven't you?"

"Touché."

I sigh and stare out the window, hoping to avoid further conversation. Finally, the silence unnerves me. "Isn't there any apartment you've seen that you can live with?"

"I like yours," he states bluntly.

That's when I realize I may never be rid of him…

* * *

I sigh. "Look, Alice. Isn't there anything you can do to help me?" I ask this question in vain. It won't happen.

"He's an artist, Bella," Alice's voice rings on the other end. "It's in his nature to be a perfectionist. If he said the tile didn't match, it didn't match, 'k?"

Yeah, because I didn't trust his opinion the first time. "That's not what I'm talking about. Can I like stay at your place again for another few days?"

I think Alice must shrug because it takes a second for her to respond. "Originally, you were my roommate. It's not my fault you didn't like Jasper spending the nights here and got an apartment so you could hide there any time you needed to 'work'."

I think about arguing about the noise the two of them created. I think better of it. One of us wouldn't survive the conversation whole. I'm sure angry roommates can easily tear away at each other's souls.

"I'm assuming that's a yes and I will be there immediately after work…after I pick up a few things and tell Edward he can have the place to himself…" I mentally begin a list of everything I will need to live out the next month at Alice's. I'm sure she'll appreciate the intrusion.

She sighs. "We're ordering pizza tonight, so, any idea what you might want?"

Thank God for overly processed food! "Oh, thank you so much for ordering out! I need some fast food!"

"Did you really not like his cooking?"

"No, Alice! He brought me lunch, too! I would have killed for a hamburger!"

I hear Alice laughed, but the entire situation was not funny…at least not from my point of view…

* * *

I'm sitting in my office at 1:30. My client, Jessica Newton, is droning on, and on, and on. I really wish on the days she has appointments, I could point her to another therapist and be done with it. Fact of the matter is that I've been trying to help her and her husband reconcile their marriage.

So far, I was failing. And I don't take failure well.

Between her incapability to buy anything but designer clothes they couldn't afford and his inability to listen, we had several other sandwiched issues. Like the fact that she felt the need to throw herself at every man she saw and his fancy that he was in love with me. I've separated their sessions, charging them the same rate, and making sure I have Angela in the room for my sessions with Mike. He doesn't scare me, but if he comes onto me one more time, his face may have a permanent imprint of my foot in it.

I was supposed to have lunch now. My stomach growls, but Jessica's talking drowns it out. Good for her and my inability to be rude. Bad for the discomfort I'm feeling as my stomach eats itself.

"So, I'm standing there, just getting a sandwich and the cashier starts flirting with me and all Mike can do is lecture the guy on how he should leave his wife alone like I'm a piece of property! He was just flirting with me. There's no harm in that, right?"

_If only she knew,_ I think, but say nothing. "Put yourself in his place. If someone were flirting with him, how would you feel?" Sometimes, I just turn situations back on her to see how narcissistic she is. The answers are sometimes humorous.

You're right. It's terrible to make fun of my patients…especially when I'm starving and it's not really their fault.

She pauses. "Well…I'd feel jealous…but, I'm the woman. I'm supposed to be jealous!" I see in her eyes that I've hit a nerve and that she actually does realize that by flirting back, she had crossed a line.

"Think of that as being how Mike feels. Any time you act in a way that makes your husband angry, think of what you would do in his place and write that down. I want to go over that with you in about…two weeks? Does that work?" I've already pressed the intercom to tell Angela to schedule her appointment. Food is already at the forefront of my mind.

"Ok, but, one more thing, Miss Swan," Jessica says, my finger still firmly pressed on the intercom key. "Do you just think that some people aren't compatible? Maybe that's us. Maybe we just aren't meant to be?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Recently, I've been pondering this question a lot. And the only thing I can tell you right now is that if you are looking for an excuse to get a divorce, at least make sure you're on the same page. I used to be a cynic and I used to think that, with enough time, anyone could find 'true love'…but I realized that I need to do extensive research on that topic," I say, bitterly, thinking of Edward and Tanya and how horrible it is to get them in the same room…

They have to have great sex, that's all I have to say, because, if they don't, I don't understand why they don't fight ALL the time…

Jessica laughs. "Really? Is it another client or did Miss Swan meet someone that I can help to set her up with?" Jessica who thinks she knows everyone.

I smile, hoping she'll drop it. "A little of both." _And it's driving me insane mentally and sexually…_

Jessica tries to pry for more details. "Tell me! Who is it? Let me know! I would be more than willing to help you! You've helped us put a lot less strain on our marriage! I mean, sure, it's not perfect and we have problems," –I think that's the understatement of the century…and when did she become so grateful for my 'help'?- "but you deserve happiness, too, right?!"

I bite my lip. "He's a doctor, but that's all I can say about it." That's when I realize my finger's on the intercom still…only because I hear giggling from my phone. "Angela, so help me God if there was another soul in that lobby, you're fired!"

I pick up the phone. "Then I'll hide your visitor in the closet until she leaves," she says, still laughing. Angela is in on it. I told her my harebrained plan. She didn't approve. I don't even approve any more.

"Make Mrs. Newton an appointment for two weeks, please," I say, trying not to ask who it is until Jessica is gone.

"Same time?" Angela asks.

I look at Jessica. "Would this time be alright?"

Jessica nods. "Sure. I don't see why not. Taking half days at the office is a wonderful thing and there is this shop on the way…"

"Mrs. Newton, you're all ready to go…just pick up the confirmation from Angela at the desk," I say, nicely telling her to bug off. It is 1:40 and I am getting my lunch, damn it!

"Thank you, Bella!" Jessica says, smiling brightly. "I'll see you in two weeks!"

I talk into the phone as the door shuts. "Are you holding the phone?" I ask.

"Yep. I'm all ears," Angela replies. I hear her handing the paper to Jessica.

I sigh. "Please…put me out of my misery." She laughs. "Who's here to see me?"

Angela smiles deviously. I know by her tone of voice. "Dr. Edward Cullen," she says.

I fumble the phone. "What?"

"He requests to see you…now?"

I sigh. "Coming…" I jump up, put the phone on its cradle and go out to the lobby, a little confused. Why is he here? I didn't tell him to be here!

And why was Jessica hanging off of him? He doesn't have the right to a fan club! I should be dictating who is a member of his fan club! She is not eligible!

"You've got the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen," I hear Jessica say. I already see disaster. He looks entirely uncomfortable. I don't trust Jessica not to rip the far too pretty polo shirt off of him and ravish him in my office.

I grab Edward's arm. "Ok, let's go," I say, pulling him into my office. Why must he look like a Greek god? Why?

Why must he come here where women with failing marriages and less of a sex life than me can victimize him?

"What are you doing here?" I whirl on him as soon as I shut my door.

He sits on the couch in front of the window. "I thought you might appreciate some lunch," he says. "I thank you for saving me from becoming that woman's lunch," he adds.

I sigh. "You shouldn't have come here." I laugh at the stupidity of the statement. "I mean, most of the time, it's alright, but I would prefer it if you weren't sent out of here in a body bag…and I would prefer if her husband never found out about that," I mutter the last part, knowing he might hunt Edward down.

He smiles. "I don't understand why she attacked me. Is she that desperate to get out of her marriage?" He begins to spread out food. I catalogue sushi, garden salad, the iced tea I'm addicted to and what I assume is desert because it remains covered.

"What's all this," I ask, looking it over.

He looks up at me from the couch, almost as if he's unsure. "You said that you were taking a late lunch today and I thought you might appreciate something other than fast food...in other words, I called Alice and asked what you liked. This is my way of paying you back for taking on this insanity."

I don't know whether to feel disturbed or touched by the gesture. I'm pretty sure Alice lied about the salad. I hate salad. Not that I wouldn't eat it for him, only so that I didn't look rude, of course… "You aren't going to let me eat my junk food for the rest of the month, are you?" I say it jokingly, knowing he won't take offense.

He shakes his head. "Not if I'm cooking for you," he amends. I didn't realize how close I was to him until he grabbed my hand and pulled me down to the couch…ok, so I landed on top of him, embarrassed and sputtering apologies. He laughs it off, as I slide off of him and sit next to him. "Lighten up and eat…before your next client comes and we have to sneak me out the window."

I glance to the closet. "I'm sure that I could shove you in the closet…granted there isn't a lot of room in there…"

I laugh as he rolls his eyes. "I'm not sure why I'm such a threat to your paitients."

I roll my eyes. "You're sexy as sin," I mutter through a bite of salad. "Why do you think they throw themselves at you?" _Of course_, I think, _that is the most desperate woman I have ever met…_

He looks at me in disbelief. "'Sexy as sin,'" he quotes. He shakes his head and takes a drink of his tea. "You're all delusional," he mutters.

I shake my head. It's interesting to me that I am interacting with him as if we've known each other forever. Unfortunately, we haven't.

I move to pick up my tea and knock it over. It splatters everything. I jump up immediately and run for the tissues on my desk. "I'm sorry!" I say. My brain was somewhere else. My brain had not been in my body. Why had I done that?

Because I'm a klutz. There was no other explanation.

I put the tissues in front of him as I duck into the closet to get paper towels and immediately go to work. "I'm so accident prone…" I mutter, mopping up the tea.

I take little time to notice his help. When he talks, I've almost forgotten his presence. "Maybe we should just wrap you in bubble wrap."

The joke is not lost. I look up, smiling to realize how close we are. My eyes fall on his lips and I realize how badly I want to kiss him. But he is forbidden. Off limits.

And I think that's why I wish he weren't now more than ever.

I see his mind taking the same direction, too. I see his gaze on my mouth, but, he doesn't kiss me. He pulls away. And I thank God he had the strength to do it.

"Maybe…maybe we should cut this lunch short?" I suggest it to spare myself. I can be selfish. I have just proven this.

He finishes cleaning the table. He clears his throat. "Right," he says, unashamed, ignoring the situation. He cleans up to leave, my lunch still neatly arranged on the table. "I'll see you when you get back to your apartment, then."

I watch him go, exhausted already.

This was a bad idea.

* * *

"Alice," I bark into the phone, flashing the day's events before my eyes. "Just make sure you have the guest room free for the next month. I will be using it often."

* * *

**Same drill. Reviews equal quotes. *raises glass* Here's to a more speedy update next time.**


	5. Day Four: Men seriously believe

**Disclaimer: Je n'ai pas les propriété des le Twilight. (French, improper, for I don't own Twilight. ha ha)**

**Sorry. I would have updated last week, but I was dragged to a Carrie Underwood concert on Friday and had to catch up on work the rest of the weekend. Ha ha. I should be doing work now...**

**Anyhow, hope you like this. Also, I'm now on . Come visit me for betterly editted chapters! :)**

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Day Four: Men Actually Believe That We Keep People on a Hook…

I wake up in an uncomfortable bed in a location that I usually only resign myself to when I'm desperate. I'm desperate, but I am also stiff and feel that this idea was entirely bad.

I love Alice and I love my old room, but my bed is at my apartment…with my comfortable mattress that doesn't make my back hurt.

I sigh. Why?

Oh, right, because Edward is in my apartment. I can't help but to be bitter. He has invaded my bubble. I like my bubble. Unfortunately, I am not heartless enough to kick him out of my bubble.

I look at my cell phone. Six-thirty-five. I'm not going back to sleep and it's late enough in the morning to warrant waking up. I roll out of bed, shove my cell into my pocket, and shuffle in my pajamas to the kitchen when I smell Alice's cooking already.

Alice, no offense to her, grew up a little more rich and a little less domestic. She slightly burns anything and everything she cooks, which is why it's surprising to me that her brother can cook. Maybe it's like a recessive trait and Alice didn't get it. At least her food is edible, though, and I'm dying for microwave bacon and toast.

I walk in and go straight to the fridge. "Good morning to you, sunshine," Alice murmurs. "Didn't sleep well, I take it?"

I sling the orange juice out of the refrigerator as I walk to the cabinet to get a glass. "I'm up at six-thirty. What do you think?" I joke a little with the statement.

Alice shrugs, flipping the bacon. I hope she has microwave bacon still. Eating burnt bacon isn't great for my taste buds. "I've got to be in at work by seven-thirty today," she explains without my even asking about her being dressed, showered, and perfectly made up this early. I envy her the cropped hair that she can spike out in five minutes tops. I also envy her skill with a make-up brush, but I never really had any motivation to learn to put on my make-up elaborately. "We've got a huge project coming in for an office building," she begins. I know that she's trying to take up the silence as I pour my juice.

Alice works for an interior design firm. She's pretty high up in the company now, but I really know nothing about her job. I know that she likes to redecorate my apartment when she's bored and that the house is constantly changing. She's an artist, which is one thing I've always struggled with. I leave all of the art in the world to her.

"Sounds like fun," I say, putting the orange juice away and taking a drink from the ultra tall glass I just happened to grab. She knows I don't understand a word of what she will say next. She tells me details anyhow. I think that's part of the reason we get along: we have extremely separated interests.

"So, how is working with Edward?" Alice says, breaking into my thoughts.

This surprises me. I wonder if she's going to gloat some more about how the entire thing was a hopeless endeavor. "I'm at a loss," I say honestly. I wait for the impending gloating.

Alice doesn't gloat, however. She actually looks at me and offers sincere advice. "Well, you've tried role playing, you've tried observation…have you ever thought about just setting him up on a blind date?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Alice points at me with the spatula. "You've been focusing on Tanya for the past three days. Maybe they're just incompatible."

Why does Alice sound like a commercial for a dating service? "And you are suggesting I choose someone by doing what? Setting him up on an online dating service?" I scoff. "That doesn't seem very orthodox. And I don't really have anyone I can set him up with."

Alice smiles. "This entire thing has been done completely out of some kind of whacked book. You haven't really been following orthodox procedures. Why not try something completely unorthodox?"

I feel a light bulb go off in my head. "Alice, you're a genius!"

I watch her raise an eyebrow. "What?" I see her pale which, with her skin tone, is hard to do.

"I have to do this by the book!" I must look overly excited.

Alice's color returns somewhat. "I doubt your vampire romances are going to help you here," she retorts.

I shake my head. "Not those books! The book of how I'm supposed to carry out couples' therapy!"

"And that is?"

"By talking to both parties!" I am absolutely bubbling. "I have to find Tanya! I don't know how I'm going to do it and I really don't know what excuse I'll find to talk to her, but I need to get to her!"

Alice returns to the bacon, ready to put them to drain on the paper towel. "Facebook her?" Her sarcasm is not appreciated.

"I don't even have her last name!" I start in on my plan. "I can ask Edward, I guess, but, if I ask him, he'll know and he will probably want to know about my meeting with her…"

"Denali," Alice says. "Her name is Tanya Denali. And, for the record, I don't like her. She acts as if she's horribly high and mighty. She's a gold digger," Alice says, gritting her teeth.

I feel the urge to back away from Alice. "I'm sorry," I say. "But, why do you say she's a gold digger?"

Alice rolls her eyes. "If you didn't know, Edward is pretty well off independently. Not to mention that our parents are loaded," she muttered.

Oh, wonderful. Edward probably made more money in a week than I made in a month. I don't even want to ask. Why is he staying at my apartment? The green monster in me wants me to charge him rent.

I put two and two together. "You think she's seriously after money?" I can't believe that. She's pretty. She could definitely go for richer guys. "What does she do for a living?"

Alice rolls her shoulders. "She works for some publishing company as an editor. It's not like she's entirely stupid. She just…rubs me the wrong way." She's about to go in a different direction, but she reins herself in. I see the fire burning in her eyes. "Besides, she isn't right for him," she says, tapping her forehead. "Little sister intuition."

I sit at the table and grin. "Can your intuition point me in the right direction, then?"

My phone rings. I don't know why someone would be calling me this early. I take it out of it's case and see Jake's number.

"Jake?" I answer. "It's going on seven o'clock. What's wrong?"

I hear a relieved sigh from the other end. "I just called your apartment to wake you up and someone else answered. I needed to make sure you were ok!"

It suddenly occurs to me that I never did tell him about Edward…How to explain this one…

"That's Edward," I say, semi-miffed. "He's my client. He's also Alice's brother. So, I told him he could stay at my apartment until he got his issues with his girlfriend resolved. I'm at Alice's."

There is a distinct pause on the other end. "You're letting a strange man stay at your apartment?"

"No, I'm letting Alice's brother stay at my apartment." The correction for him isn't much better. "There's nothing to be concerned about. He's a great person, he'll take care of everything while I stay with Alice."

Jake still isn't satisfied. "I called to ask you to a movie tonight. Unfortunately, now I'm a bit more concerned than I was when I called."

I roll my eyes. "Stop trying to be a tough man and get over yourself. When's the movie?"

He still isn't happy and I'm a little more offended by his immediate dislike for Edward than I should be. "Seven thirty. Can I pick you up from work?"

I sigh. No, you cannot. "Sure," I say, through my teeth. "I might have to swing by my apartment first, so why don't you come over there about seven?"

After a mutual agreement that makes me feel like shattering my cell phone, I groan. "Alice…are you sure you can't just put me out of my misery?"

Alice laughs. "I should feel sorry for you," she says. "Too bad, I don't."

There's only three 'Denali'-s in Seattle in the white pages. I got lucky. Only one of them has the first name 'Tanya'. Now, I just have to hope that it is actually the one that I'm looking for. I spend the day coming up with an excuse to talk to her.

I could see how well, _hi, I'm a relationship therapist trying to get to the bottom of what's going on with your ex_ would go over.

Angela walks into my office at the end of the day. "You look like you're working hard on something. Can I help?"

I shake my head. "Not unless you can come up with an excuse for me to talk to Edward Cullen's ex-girlfriend that isn't a lie, but isn't entirely the truth."

Angela sits on my couch. "How about 'hello, I'm Bella Swan and I was wondering if you knew Edward Cullen?'"

"And if she hangs up the phone on me?" I'm trying to find something that won't make her hate me.

Angela crosses her arms. "I would give up," she says. "We can't make her talk to you. She has to do that of her own free will."

I nod. She has a point. But, I do have an in. "Ok, Angela, let me run this by you," I begin. I see her eyes widen. She looks at me like I look at Alice when I know that she's going to offer me a crazy idea and I can't back away. "Wait until you hear it!"

Angela shuffles nervously. "What if I had Alice talk to her? Set up a meeting! Alice is Edward's sister, so she knows Tanya and we would be more able to assess through what Alice digs up!"

Angela raises an eyebrow. "We?"

"Yes, we!" I think I've had too much coffee.

Angela levels me a serious look. "I'll admit, it's nuts and I have no involvement in this fiasco." I'm about to protest, but she opens her mouth. "But, it might just work."

I like how the last five minutes in the office are always productive.

"So," Angela begins. "How was Mike Newton today?"

I roll my eyes as I hear the bell ring to signal someone's come in the office. "Let's talk about happier topics…like smashing puppies!" I hated my appointments with him. I look up. "And that's my ride," I smile, seeing the tall frame in the door way.

Jake is six-four. He towers over me, which is fine. His tanned skin is always warm and he always looks like a model, even covered in tar. His long black hair was so naturally ebony that people always wanted to know how he colored it. And he's smiling at me, a perfect white smile. He's twenty-seven and he's convinced I should be dating him. He has been since we were in high school.

"Hi!" I say, rush away from Angela, through my office door, with my purse magically in tow. "Are you here to escorts me back to my apartment?" I joke, knowing he really is.

"Of course, milady," he says in his smooth voice. "Should I call a chariot for you or can you manage the walk?"

I laugh. "Walking is fine," I say, already headed for the street. He tries to reach for my hand, but I pull away, trying to make it look as if it was completely natural. I lead him up the stairs to my apartment, trying to make conversation, but there really isn't anything to say. We both know that. He likes cars, I like chocolate. Not much common ground.

I shouldn't be surprised when I open my apartment door, but I am. Jacob Black almost kills Edward with his eyes. Edward looks very relaxed on my couch, watching the news. The thought is almost humorous. "This is Edward, I take it?"

I sigh, pushing past Jake to get into my apartment. "Yes, this is Edward. Edward Cullen, Jacob Black, vise versa," I say, walking toward my room. "I'm going to change. Can you two refrain from killing each other?"

Edward looks at me with a look that says 'how dare you.'

Jacob immediately starts in. "So, are you going to be staying here long?"

"Jake," I say, tersely. "Why don't you just wait with your motorcycle?" I smile, hoping the suggestion works. It comes out kind of snarky, though, and I don't really think of regretting it. The moment I do, the moment I will feel guilty about it.

Jake looks at Edward cautiously. He finally resigns to leave. "Whatever you say, Bells." He walks away, still glancing over his shoulder. As the door slams, I feel the air in the room brighten immediately.

I roll my eyes. "Boyfriend?" Edward says, relaxingly.

"No," I shoot back. "Childhood friend."

I start walking to my bedroom door. "I don't like the way he looks at you," Edward says. "He looks at you like I imagine the wolf looked at Little Red Riding Hood."

I raise an eyebrow. "He's not all bad."

The remark even makes him doubt me. "You've got him wrapped around your finger. Do you realize that?

"If you're implying that I have him on my hook, you're wrong," I grit out. "He's just a nice guy."

He still looks skeptical. "Be safe," he says, softly.

I go to close the door behind me. "I will be," I smile. "Don't wait up for me."

"Actually, I'm going into the hospital in a couple of hours," he says.

"I thought they told you to take the day off," I say, confusion taking over.

He smiles crookedly. "I can't stay away."

I shake my head. "I hope you're well rested," I smile.

Edward smiles. "Have fun," he says.

"Thanks," I smile back, unresisting.

* * *

**Yes, I know. It was long. Reviews= quotes and I'm going to have a little fun in the next chapter for you guys!**


	6. Day Five technically: Second Step

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Disclaimer: I do not own it...never will own it! Twilight is still Mrs. Meyer's creation.

Sorry. Late update and only because I'm home sick. Went out with friends this weekend and all I wanted to do was sleep afterward. Dancing should be detrimental to your health...

Anyhow, you all know the drill! Reviews get cookies and quotes!

Day Five (technically): Second Step: Denial

Fuck having someone let me make my own mistakes! I am livid! Not so much livid as nauseous and nursing a pounding headache, but same principle.

I had to call Alice from the ER and ask her to come pick me up. I refused to ride that motorcycle. Not only was I afraid of it, being nauseous on a motorcycle only proceeded to make me exceedingly, ridiculously dizzy.

Which leads me to my point.

I'm stuck in the ER of the hospital where all of the nurses, who, may I remind you, know me on a first name basis, have been tending to me annoyingly well and none of it has made me feel a single bit better. And Alice is not pleased with the bloody gash on my forehead which, even I have to admit, is a bit unnerving and I've been avoiding my reflection in the television next to my bed because even the smell of my own blood is overwhelming in the room.

I feel exhausted. My eyes begin to drift shut when I hear Alice say, "Bella!" Her voice has enough panicky conviction in it that my body snaps to attention. "You heard what the nurse said. They have to make sure you don't have a concussion before you can go to bed!"

I glance at the clock. It's midnight. "I've been here for an hour and a half. I think I would have started puking my guts out or whatever they expect me to do by now if there was anything seriously wrong with me!" I kind of wished they hadn't even taken me to the ER in the first place. "I ran into a pole. How bad could it be?"

Alice refrains from snickering, I notice. "Hopefully the doctor will tell you there is nothing wrong with you and we can all just go home. At least you didn't fall off of the motorcycle."

_Yes, Alice_, I think, quite bitterly, _Thank you for the concern_.

"And, at the very least, this will be a funny story to tell later," I say aloud instead. Truly, I've got enough of those under my belt that I don't need this one.

There is a knock on my door as I begin to click away at the television remote. I don't bother to respond to the knock because I know that in three seconds someone will burst through the door, smiling, holding my chart, acting as though there is some divine inside joke we share…

My heart stops when Edward Cullen waltzes through the door.

"What are you doing here?" I say, shooting straight up on the bed.

Edward raises an eyebrow before he turns his attention back to the file in his hand. "I'm not pleased to see you, either, but I'm also not in the habit of turning you away with a head injury." He says it coldly in a way. "You did what, exactly?"

My brain has problems wrapping around his words. I have to think for a moment before I answer him, which is just long enough for this new holier-than-thou, scrub dressed moron to come back with a new phrasing. "You ran into a pole?" He prompts me as he shuts the door. He walks into the room, lays the file down, and pulls on a pair of gloves.

I sigh. "Yes, but I wouldn't even say I ran into it so much as I walked _straight_ into it."

Edward studies me and pulls out a flashlight. He shines it into my eyes. A strange look crosses his face for only a moment. He fixes that quickly. It's almost too quickly for me to catch. I look quickly to Alice who seems oblivious. "Eyes forward, please," Edward says. I see him smirking as I look back. "You've been here enough to know the drill, Bella." His humor is not currently appreciated by my pounding headache. I remain staring straight forward, blankly, hoping that I might be able to get out this hospital before the sun rises.

Edward continues his evaluation, moving on from my eyes to my cut head. His cold touch prodding my forehead makes me want to scream. I refrain, biting my lip and hissing instead. "I have never met anyone who could give themselves a concussion by walking into a pole," he says, lightly.

I bite my lip harder. "Well, I'm very talented," I say, half snippy. He moves away and takes off the rubber gloves. The snap of the rubber as he takes them off makes me cringe.

"That you are," he mutters. He takes a deep breath. "I'm going to recommend that we run a CT scan and that cut is going to need stitches…"

The word stitches isn't even out of his mouth when Alice jumps up. "I can't be in the room!" Her voice sounds like a wail. "I'm going to wait in the lobby," she says, cringing.

Funny. He hasn't even pulled out a needle yet. That's when I turn to run.

Alice is inching toward the door. "It's no problem Alice," I say. "Call Rosalie and Emmett and let them know I'm not dead while you're out there." I say it sighing. "I'll be out there whenever they discharge me."

I feel abandoned as Alice shuts the door. The _click_ feels like she's walking purposefully out of my life and leaving me there.

I'm stranded, alone. I'm on an island with Edward Cullen…

No, that probably wouldn't even be as bad as being stuck in this small room with him. He studies me one more time. "I don't think you have a concussion, but I think you are going into shock." I glance at him sideways. "You have a rather glassy look in your eyes," he remarks, making some note on the file in his hands. "Should I assume this was your own doing or do I have free-reign to go after Jacob Black the next time I see him?" He tries to keep his tone nonchalant. His body language says he's seething. That's kind of sweet of him.

Kind of…

"I legitimately walked into the pole myself," I say. "I was attempting to walk through a door way."

He shakes his head and opens a cabinet near me. "Why does that not surprise me?" I try not to pay attention to anything he pulls out of the cabinet. He's putting gloves back on and picking up a rag to pour alcohol onto when I deign to look. "Should I even ask if you've ever had a CT scan before or should I just assume?"

I grimace. "Just assume," I decide to say. I don't want to know more than I have to about my head being shoved under a machine and examined.

He doesn't say anything. He just takes the rag to my forehead. Once again, it burns and the pressure hurts even though he is trying to be gentle. "It's not as bad as it looked before," he says, softly. He cleans the blood away easily, staring at the cut, not at me. But the close proximity still makes me bristle. I try not to think about it. "I'll need to stitch this closed, which means I'm going to have to give you a shot," he must feel me tense. "Or I can use steri strips."

I look up at him. "You'd do that for me?" I've never been a fan of stitches, not since I was five years old and had fallen off of the swing. After it came back and hit me, I had to have stitches at the nape of my neck. It hadn't been a particularly pleasant experience.

His face doesn't change. "It not that large lengthwise and it's more or less a clean cut. But I would normally recommend stitches. I will use adhesive strips on one condition," he says, already getting the strips ready.

"Anything!" I say, almost jumping up.

He smiles. "You have to stay with me instead of with Alice so that I can monitor you," he already knows I'm defeated because he begins to stretch the strips across the cut.

"Ok," I sigh, feeling the pull of the adhesive on my skin. He puts a gauze piece over it, taping it to the wound.

He smiles at my defeated face, focusing on how long I'm going to have to suffer with him. "There," he remarks. "You're as good as new."

"Only slightly more bandaged," I say, lightly, glancing up at him through my lashes, smiling.

He moves to take his gloves off and throws them into the trash. "But at least I know you'll heal," he said, slightly more seriously. He stands right before me and I think of how easy it would be to kiss him…or do slightly less honorable things to him. A long silence ensues where I watch him glance at my lips. I want to reach up and brush his lips with my fingertip, but he is still very much off limits.

I don't have to do anything, though. His hand cups my chin and his thumb gently strokes my lower lip. "You look so hurt, Bella," he says, gently. My lips part slightly under his touch. "I wish I only knew why," he says, softly to me.

His lips are even closer to mine. I extend my neck. Maybe, just maybe I can close the gap…maybe…maybe this was right.

He closes the gap for me. His lips taste like honey against mine. They are so horribly soft…the kiss is so gentle, almost innocent. There is something to be said about that. I move my lips against his, but I still feel as if this is wrong.

He waits a moment before moving completely away. I am still horribly dazed as he does so. "I…" he begins. He's across the room now, urgently trying to leave. "I'll order that CT scan…you should be out of here within the hour," he finishes. He's out the door before I can say anything.

I'm a terrible therapist.

* * *

I stumble out of the ER and into the lobby at one a.m. Rosalie and Emmett are poised to take me home. Alice is that afraid of stitches. Alice has her hand over her mouth and nose, as if she can smell my injuries.

"You look like a wreck," Rosalie remarks.

Alice glances at me. "They didn't sedate you, did they?" Why on earth Alice asks this, I will never know.

"No," I sigh. I'm still kind of stumbling. I should start wearing flip flops out with Jacob. I don't know why I insist on following Alice's style rules. "I just need fresh air." It's the best excuse I've got.

Rosalie comes to my aid, seeing that I'm leaning pretty heavily on the chair. This makes me feel bad. Rosalie is almost ready to give birth and she's the one who comes rushing to my aid. Not to mention that it is sickening that she can look amazing in her sweats. "You poor thing. They gave you a contrast, didn't they?" She latches an arm under my arm. "Come on, let's get you to the car and get you home. I can stay the night with you," she consoles. This is out of character for Rosalie, who is usually very domineering and ready to blame me for anything I have happen to me.

Alice raises an eyebrow. "Why isn't Edward helping you out?"

"Damned if I know," I mutter, trying not to lean too heavily against Rosalie. Emmett is fumbling to try to get a grip on me to spare his fiancée. It simply isn't happening. Even I'm confused as to why Rosalie isn't just handing me over. "I haven't seen him."

Alice smiles. "It isn't the meds that did that to her head," she remarks.

I try to stand up by myself. "Alice, let it alone."

"Please tell me he kissed you and not the other way around!" Alice bubbles.

A lot of things happen at once then. Emmett laughs at me. Rosalie almost throws me away like a rag doll. I'm at Alice's throat ready to kill on demand.

Rosalie comes to her senses first. "Alice, Bella, break it up. Alice, stop yelling at Bella. Bella…well, at least you aren't giggling like a five year old." I haven't really registered that Rosalie is holding me by the back of my shirt until she lets it go.

"I swear nothing happened! I'm here because they thought I might have a concussion!" I say, defensively.

Rosalie sighs. "What news do we have on that front?"

"I'm good to go, brain damage free," I say, crunching my teeth together.

"Good," Rosalie says. "I'm driving Bella home and I'll stay with her for the night. Someone please call Jacob Black and tell him she's alright so that she can go home and get some rest."

I bite my lip. No one volunteers as we walk to the car. "I can call him," I say, uncertainly. Rose sighs, but nods. I don't remember much else about the drive home. I assume that must mean the I fell asleep.

I do remember waking up at one o'clock in the afternoon to Rosalie shaking me awake, informing me she had to leave. I nod and follow her to the door, almost mute before going through the rest of my apartment.

What I find disturbs me.

Edward Cullen never came back to my apartment last night.

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**There you have it! Not much suspense, huh?**


	7. Day Six: Plan B!

**Disclaimer: I still do not own this. If I did, I wouldn't STILL be searching for a job.**

**Sorry for the late update! My friends and I were taking a trip to Anime Central. The last two weeks were spent with us getting ready and with me making two costumes. Very hard, very time consuming. I've had no life. I've had no time for my story...It was very sad. But I did get my first novel rejected!...so...I think I might just stick to writing romance novels...maybe just fanfiction. Ha ha.**

**So, here is your long, overdue update and I'm pretty sure it was crappy. I'll try to rework it if you don't like it.**

**So, let me know!**

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Day Six: Plan B: Sometimes better than Plan A!

"And you're sure you still want to do this?" Alice asks for the umpteenth time.

I slip the Mp3 player into her purse's back pocket. "Do I seriously have to answer that question again?" I throw Alice her obnoxiously tiny purse. "Now, make sure you turn it on _record _before you set it on the table. Make sure the microphone is nearest her."

Alice looks at me funnily. "Don't you need to hear both of us?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Alice, I barely have time to set my DVR. If you seriously think I've ever done this before, you're insane. I think Tanya's responses are the most important part of this meeting, though. Hopefully, you will remember some of your questions."

Alice still shakes her head. "Are you even sure you should be back at work already?"

I level her a look that tells her I know what she's getting at. "You're not backing out of this. You are going to go have lunch with Tanya and then you never have to see her again until her wedding. And random family social gatherings. Point is help me out here and she's satisfied for a little while."

Alice eases her purse up onto her arm. "Can't you just set Edward up with some other nice girl? Preferably someone who can talk about a subject that isn't how wonderful she is?"

I glare. "We do things my way first, yes?" Alice looks kind of murderous, but she doesn't say anything in relation to that comment.

Calmly, I watch Alice walk across the room and toward the door. "I'm going to get going so I can meet her. I have no idea what she wants of me." She smoothes down her little black dress, primps a little, and pulls at her hair. Satisfied, she doesn't even bother to ask how she looks.

As Alice walks away, I get the feeling she really doesn't like this. I can't tell why. It isn't something most people would admit in polite company. I can't understand what her problem is. Surely a day with Tanya Denali couldn't be that bad.

* * *

Several hours later, after explaining enumerable times what happened to my face, I'm waiting for Alice to come back into my office. As I'm hooking up the USB cord to my computer, I hear the front door of my office slam. Angela's greeting is enough to tell me who it is.

When Alice slinks into the room, dragging her purse behind her, I stifle a giggle. She looks crest-fallen and drained as she throws herself onto my couch. "If I never hear that voice again, it'll be too soon…" Alice buries herself into the cushions of the couch. "Here," she says. "Take this purse and I never want to see it again."

I walk over and take the purse from her and grab the Mp3 player. I leave the purse next to her. "Come on, Alice. There is no way it was that bad."

Alice looks at me as if to say 'you have to be kidding me'. "I have been to lunch at a restaurant where everything was non vegetarian. I went shopping, dragged along like Toto in Oz, looking for absolutely nothing. I have seen more wasteful spending in a four hour period than I have seen in my entire life. Does anyone need a pair of golden Converse stilettos? I don't see the practical usage of an extra-high top thrown onto stilettos!"

I roll my eyes, plugging the Mp3 player up. This sentence has just come out of the mouth of a woman who owns a pair of shoes that are four inches tall and have no heel. I try to ignore the subject. "Would you like pizza or Chinese?"

Alice throws her head onto the couch. "Anything. I don't care."

"I'll call the sandwich shop, then." I pick up the phone and dial. Ignoring Alice, I order at random. I'm hungry enough to eat anything and, so long as they bring her vegetarian delight, Alice won't care.

Alice rolls onto her back, sighing. "I'm so so so not looking forward to seeing her again. Please, tell me you can set him up with someone else. There has to be someone out there whose perfect for Edward. It can't be her. I don't care what goes through your sick little head. I'd rather you marry him than her…" I look at her, offended, knowing she has no idea what came out of her mouth. "Wait," she says, watching my expression. "That came out highly negative and it wasn't supposed to…"

I shake my head, watching the Mp3 player sync. I hear the familiar beep that tells me it is done. "Al, do you want to listen to this?"

Alice shakes her head. "No, thank you. I lived it. Reliving your most horrific nightmares are not my preferred method of amusement."

I hear a knock on the door and I glance up. Angela is leaning, both hands on the door frame. "Anything else you guys need before I go home?"

I shake my head. "I don't think so." I glance at Alice. "Zombie bride over there has no hope of responding to anything coherently."

Angela laughs. Alice glares. "I am not a zombie! Nor am I a bride. I have yet to start shopping for either of your dresses."

Angela hold up her hands. "Not part of the wedding party this time around. Totally having nothing to do with this." She smiles genially. "Have fun. Get home tonight. You both look like you're dead on your feet."

I listen to Angela's heels clomping out of the office. I sigh. "You getting the sandwiches when they get here?"

Alice smiles. "They're already here."

"No, they're not."

I hear a knock on the door. "Yes, they are." She rolls off my couch and walks out. She pops her head back in momentarily. "Please, feel free to start listening to Tanya droning without me." I swear I hear her mutter, "Please finish them, too."

I roll my eyes. Plugging my headphones in, we spend the next hour picking through our tapes. I think I spend more time laughing than I do at analyzing the actual responses.

I finally get fed up. I take the headphones off and throw them down. There is a pause as I give up. "Everything she hates is something I think is acceptable." I shake my head. I attempt to lean my forehead on my hand, only to discover pain. This reminds me that I haven't seen Edward since Wednesday morning, almost Tuesday night. There is more blood seeping through my steri strips. "Have you heard from Edward?"

Alice looks at me. "I thought he was staying with you. I haven't heard from him. His phone is off, the last I checked."

I begin to turn off my computer. "Well, I'll try to call him," I say, not in the mood to panic. He's probably busy with work. He'll show up when he's ready to.

"Ahead of you," Alice says, already with the phone to her ear. She sneers after a few seconds. "It's off or he's ignoring me."

I try to dial him. Voicemail. I look at Alice. She bites her lip. I think the same thing goes through her mind. "I'll call the hospital," Alice says.

"I'll run to the bar," I say.

Alice raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's the first place I can think of. We'll call each other and sync our progress."

I think we've just lost my client…

* * *

"Don't stress, Bella," Alice says on the other line. "Edward's a big boy. He'll find his way home."

I'm exhausted. I feel like just dragging myself into the apartment. I balance the phone on my ear and flip through my keys. "I just feel like I've been on a wild goose chase through the city and haven't seen or heard of him."

Alice sighs. "You'll see him soon. He never stays gone longer than a few days."

I unlock the door and turn the handle. "Yes, well, doesn't mean I don't think this is insanit…" I stop short. Sitting on my couch is Edward Cullen. I glare. "Alice, I'll call you back."

Edward looks up at me. "Good evening," he says, nonchalantly.

I glare. "Where have you been, exactly?"

Edward laughs. "What, are you my mother?"

I feel like slapping him. "Answer me," I say, narrowing my eyes.

Edward's face drops. "Here. On this couch."

I cross my arms, shutting the door with my foot. "How long?"

"Four hours," he says.

"You don't answer your phone?" I lean against my door, waiting for my answer.

"I've been at work," he says. "Why do you seem so angry?"

"I've been looking for you," I respond, matter-of-factly.

"I've been waiting on you to come home. I suppose we can consider it even," he says.

I try not to smile, but I can't help it. I shake my head. Edward can't know how madly Alice and I have torn apart Seattle. I am speechless. "Don't do it again," I say. I begin to talk toward my bedroom, but I pause. He is calmly watching the television, as if I haven't just confronted him. "Don't stay up late," I say, smiling at him.

Edward shakes his head. "I won't, my adopted-over-protective-comrade," he smiles, though I'm not sure why.

I sigh. I tore apart alleyways and restaurants and apartments of everyone I knew. And for what? The god of insolence was sitting on my couch.

But I can't resent him. I can't let him think I do. I shake my head. Why can no one else see him when he's like this? How is it that I am the only one?

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**Review for a quote!**


	8. Day Seven: I used to love my Fridays

**Disclaimer: As we begin this 8th/7th chapter of our story, I am obligated to remind you all once more that I still own nothing...or I would not be broke.**

**Today I am graduating and, as a present to myself, I am updating my fanfiction. I intend, also, on updating my fanfiction tomorrow. This is a two update weekend. YAYS!...at least, I'm excited. But, I'd love reviews! I won't send quotes if you request. The last chapter only got 2 reviews, which is fine, but I would like to know if you hated it and that's why, etc...of course, as hectic as my life was, you could all have just been like me!**

**So, happy reading!**

Day Seven: I used to love my Friday nights…

I love Fridays. Fridays are the beginning of the weekend. The weekend means I don't have to work. You think that it gets better once you are out of school and into the real world.

Along with all of those other fluff-filled dreams, this one should also just be forgotten. It's nothing short of idiocy and wishful thinking.

It's normal for me to come home on Fridays with a bounce in my step, praising God for the weekend that is awaiting me. For the hot bubble baths and the late night TV shows I haven't been watching through the week. I thank God for Saturday Night Live and sitting down on my couch with a book.

Even unlocking the door to my apartment, there is a stupid smile plastered on my face.

Who needs a date when I have my Fridays?

I think I forgot that Edward was staying with me and that I would have to provide him with some form of amusement for the weekend because I don't think I would have been nearly as happy as I was when I opened my door. Even as I walk in and see Edward sitting on my couch, I'm feeling pretty good about myself…until I stop and study what he's doing.

There is Edward, sitting on my couch, reading my book. And, not just any book. He's reading my romance novel that I just so happened to slip into the drawer of the end table two days ago. The thought of Edward reading Sherilyn Kenyon has me bounding across the room at him, flying headlong over the couch.

Unfortunately for me, he has time to move. I, on the other hand, end up sprawled across my couch.

"Edward," I say sternly, looking up at him. "Give that back."

Watching me run across a room with the intent of slamming into him must have been funny to him because he gets this very devious smirk on his face. "You should really invest in better reading material," he says. I know he's joking with me, but it still offends me. "Would you care to describe why you would not like me to read this?"

My only response is to glance at the book and try to gauge where in the book he is. How am I supposed to respond when he asks me that question? He's holding a book titled _Fantasy Lover_ and he really wants me to tell him the reason why I don't want him to know I've read that book? The man can figure it out by himself, but, I'm sure he already has and enjoys seeing all of the blood in my body rush to my face.

"Please," I say, instead, "can't you just give it back to me?"

He seems to consider. "No, I think I'd like to read the rest of it. After all, isn't that why you read it, to get to the happy ending?"

I begin to calculate what my chances are of jumping off this couch and reaching him before he has time to move. I find that the chances are not good. I get up slowly. "You already know the ending! It's a paperback romance! They all end the same! Everyone's happy, they have kids and a normal married life, etcetera. Can you not just give it back?"

Edward laughs. I keep inching forward, waiting for him to run. We are playing a complex game of cat and mouse.

Over my paperbacks.

This is tragically humorous, isn't it?

"I'm sure that your clients would love to know that you read graphic pornography as a way of dealing with your own sexual fantasies."

I jump for the book. He moves. I catch myself on my coffee table. "Please?" I beg in my best childish voice. I've never actually had to play these games before, so I'm pretty sure I suck at it.

Edward shakes his head. "Sorry, Bella. Not happening."

We somehow end up running through my apartment, the door still open, with me wailing about my book. I don't care what my neighbors think. I want that book. There is no way that he is getting too much farther into the book. I refuse to live with him for the next twenty-three days while he has that kind of ammunition to fire at me.

I watch him run into my bed room. "Oh, no you didn't! That's my room! Out of my room!" Now my only intent is chasing him out of my bedroom. I'm pretty sure there isn't enough room for two people to maneuver in that room and I'd either corner him and get my book back, or I'd end up falling and hurting myself.

Edward doesn't entirely enter my room. He stands there, taunting me as I come barreling at him at full speed.

It would have been the perfect opportunity to grab my book if I hadn't tripped.

My tripping caused Edward by some heroic reflex to catch me, which threw off the entire equilibrium of our bodies and, somehow, we both fell over…

Onto my bed.

Edward catches himself on the bed so that he is not crushing me. The feel of him so close to me, though, is uncanny. I feel like an electric current is going through my body. His face hovers extremely close to mine. Would it be a sin to steal another kiss?

Somewhere, logic slaps me across the face. "I'm sorry," I say. Even though it comes out extremely breathy, I'm hoping the general apology comes across. "I'd move, but you're on top of me."

He smiles at me, gently. He brushes a piece of hair from my face. "Do you do this with all of your clients?"

Something catches in my throat. "No," I squeak.

I hear someone clear their throat behind us. I squeeze my eyes shut, mortified. "Um…if you're busy…you know…maybe you should shut the door…"

Edward gets up and then helps to right me. Jacob Black: the only person who can make an awkward situation more awkward…but also spare me from doing anything I might hate myself for later.

"Jake, seriously," I say, embarrassed. "This is definitely not what it looks like!"

Jake raises an eyebrow. "Got an excuse for that?" I know he's joking.

"Actually, yes. I fell…again."

Jake shakes his head. "Sadly, I'd believe it…but, I came by to get you from dinner. If you're busy, we can reschedule…"

"Dinner?" I'm bemused. "When did we decide this?"

"I texted you?" he says, as if to jog my memory. I dig my phone from my pocket. It's dead again.

"My phone died!" I rage. "Sorry, Jake…I didn't know!" I move to my closet. "Do you want me to change? I can go as it, if that's ok…"

Jake shakes his head. "Nah…don't worry about it…if you'd told me you were…busy, I wouldn't have come over."

"Jake," I say, glaring, avoiding a guilt trip. "I didn't know. You have no right to be angry with me."

Jake starts to walk out. He stops, though. "I'm not really mad, Bells…call me later…I'm shutting your door, just so you know."

He walks out and closes the door with a resounding slam. I sigh. I look to Edward. "Thanks for staying out of that."

He doesn't look particularly happy. "If he'd said anything worse, I would have escorted him out even if he tried to kill me." I watch a muscle in his jaw tick.

"Are you ok?" I ask, kind of concerned. "I'm a big girl, Edward, really. I'm able to take care of myself."

He shakes his head. "Here, let me see the cut on your head. I'm going to change the dressing and the steri strips and clean it." His touch makes me shiver as he gently takes the gauze off . "Sorry," he apologizes, gently. His entire demeanor changes once again.

And so again begins my night stuck with Edward.

I actually hate being stuck here with him. He's an overprotective mother. He argued with me over what we should eat for dinner. He then argued with me about who was cooking. Top that off with an argument over whether or not I can eat in the living room so I can watch the news and my night is perfect. They say some couples argue like old married couples. We aren't even together and we argue like a cat and a dog. I wonder what exactly that says about our relationship.

I'm actually surprised when we end up watching movies on my couch. While watching _Pride and Prejudice_, through which I am falling asleep, I happen to glance at the clock as my eyes are closing. 11:45. It's not that late for me on a Friday. The movie is only about halfway done…I close my eyes, expecting to still be able to listen to the movie.

I must doze off, instead. I wake up with my head on Edward's shoulder. His arm wrapped around me is comforting. He's warm. "I'm sorry," I apologize, weakly.

He shakes his head. "You would apologize to a chair for doing nothing, Bella," he says, softly. His tone is still serious. "You looked uncomfortable, sleeping with your head on the back of the couch."

"I would have been fine," I say, softly. Somehow, my hand is draped across his lap. I'm too groggy to care. "Jake's really mad at me, isn't he?" I can't help asking. My mind is racing in my mini-naps.

He sighs. His fingers run through my hair. He turns off the movie. It's not over. I wonder if he thinks I wouldn't notice. "Bella, have you ever given up on someone?"

I shake my head. I glance up at him, the best I can. "No. If I gave up on anyone, I would feel like their problems are my fault."

He smiles at me. "Would you really believe that, if you got fed up with me?"

I nod. "And I could never get fed up with you," I say, laying my head back down on his chest. I close my eyes again.

I start to put myself to sleep, calculating Alice's wedding details when his voice breaks through my reverie. "Do you want me to carry you to your room?" He says it softly, as if he doesn't want me to hear.

"No," I mumble. "Just let me rest my eyes for a few minutes." _I'll go to bed in a few minutes_, I think to myself.

I think I was supposed to say it out loud, but I didn't the energy. I just laid there, waiting to eventually get carried to bed, out of my heaven. Some sick thought hit me that I didn't want to wake up without his smell and his touch, no matter how much I knew it was wrong.

In the morning, I'd wake up and that thought wouldn't exist. In the morning, I would once again go to work on how I was going to get Edward and Tanya together.

In the morning, I would have to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to be with him and give up these fantasies.

But that was alright. I had tonight to dream.

Why on earth did he ever fall with me?

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	9. Day Eight: Third Step: Lust

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing...**

**So...I'm back...sorry this took so long. Originally, it was late because of more internet problems (don't trust comcast!) then I thought it was crappy...so...It's here now...after people pestered me and a couple of my friends semi-threatened me...I'm sorry guys! **

**But...I semi-rewarded you with the first part of this chapter! I hope you enjoy it!...and I hope you enjoy what I have to come!**

Day Eight: Third Step: Lust

Well, part of my weekend has yet to be ruined: I still get to soak in my bathtub.

My perfect weekend would just be spending hours in here with the water never getting cold and my books never getting wet. I would also love it if I could just sit here in candlelight for the rest of the night with my books. Even though I know that that is an impossibility, I'm still sitting in the bathtub, two hours later, book halfway finished to my right, my eyes soaking under a washrag to remove my mascara and eyeliner.

This bathtub was the main reason I rented this apartment, really. It's huge, built in, round…and if it had Jacuzzi jets in it, I would probably never leave.

I love this. To be alone in the water…it's the single most relaxing experience of my weekend.

But, I can't stay in here much longer. I have to entertain Edward…

I sigh and lean back further in the bathtub. I'm just going to ignore his existence and soak this off my face.

I hear the door to the bathroom open after a few seconds. This is not what I ever expected to happen.

Ever.

I thought I locked that door…

Alice has a key to my house and knows where I keep my spare keys. I sigh with relief. "Alice. As you can see, I'm preoccupied…can you come back in about an hour, when my skin doesn't resemble a prune and when I actually have clothes on?" I figure it's her fault she walked in on me. And I don't have anything she doesn't, so I have officially forsaken modesty in an effort to remain in my bathtub.

There is a long pause. "It's not Alice," I hear and I throw off the washcloth and roll over onto my stomach as fast as I can. Who am I kidding? He's already seen everything there is to see!

"What are you doing in my bathroom?" I wail. "At least turn around!"

He does so, without asking questions. "I'm sorry…I…I assumed you had gotten out of the bath tub already."

I give him a dirty look I know he can't see. "I haven't even washed my hair yet! Get out!"

He pauses for a moment. I think he's going to leave, but he doesn't. "You're beautiful," he says. "You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself."

I think my jaw hits the floor, but, with him, that's an everyday occurrence. "Excuse me?"

He shakes his head. "I said you're beautiful."

I grab my towel and hold it up to make sure I'm covered as I get out of the tub. I fasten the towel around me and I let the water out of the tub. "You shouldn't do that," I say. "That's the lesson of the day. Don't play with a woman's emotions and never lie to her about how she looks."

Edward glances over his shoulder before he turns around. "I'm not lying to you, Bella," he says.

I turn, rolling my eyes. Yep. My wet hair is so attractive. I mean, so are my raccoon eyes. It's all the fashion rage. I take a hand towel and begin drying my arms. "No more playing with me," I order. I feel another hand stop mine as I dry my skin. I try to turn around only to run into Edward. "What are you…"

My question is broken as Edward takes me into his arms and kisses my throat. I moan, betraying just how aroused I was. He pauses, but I feel him smiling against my skin. "What are you doing?" I ask, breathily, even though he has my head supported at the nape of my neck, completely ruining my attempt at calm.

"I'm showing you how I feel, Bella," he spoke softly. His hands move to undo my towel, I grab for it, holding it up. He looks at me, confused. "You need to stop being ashamed of who you are, Bella. Stop worrying about who you could be and see what you are," he says. It's beautiful, but I'm confused as to why I am getting a lecture from him. It's supposed to be the other way around.

He slides the towel away from me. The feel of his hands is beautiful, soothing. I wait for what is to come next…

Unfortunately, my alarm clock is going off in the other room. I groan. I don't know how I slept last night, but every single muscle in my body is sore…

That dream…that was too real. And I'm going to have to face Edward when I wake up. Won't that be dandy?

As I wake up enough to open my eyes, I realize two things: one, it's Saturday and two, I'm sleeping on top of a very masculine body. I try to run through the events of last night. I had slept on top of Edward! The thought alone makes me jump off the couch. To hell with not wanting to wake him up!

I land on the floor, unceremoniously, with a bang.

Edward rolls over. He opens his heavy eyelids and looks at me. "Bella?" He rubs at his eyes, confused as to why I'm on the floor, looking at him like a terrified doe, no doubt. "What are you doing? It's eight a.m. on a Saturday," he says, trying to sit up. He looks at my position on the floor. "Are you ok?" He asks, standing up. He offers me a hand, which I refuse.

Oh, what I bet those hands could do.

I stand up alone. "Yeah," I say. "I'm fine."

He looks at me, hurt. I've hurt his pride. He shakes his head, content that he wil never get an answer. "Go, get dressed. You need to unwind. We're going out for breakfast," he says.

I look at him as if he's an alien. "Um…I'd prefer staying in," I mutter.

He sighs. "Ok," he says. "I'll cook. You go shower," he says.

"No!" I say. Showers, baths…all of that s bad in my mind right now. "I mean…I can help you cook," I say.

He raises an eyebrow. "Ok," he says. He goes for his duffel bag that he's living out of and strips his shirt off.

I shield my eyes. "Do you ever cook with a shirt on?" I say, appalled, ready to run to my room.

Edward sighs. "Yes…when I'm not about to go take a shower."

I gape. "Ok…so, I'm cooking breakfast?" I am so confused…

"No," he says. "You're getting cleaned up and then we're both cooking breakfast."

"Uh-huh," I say. It's so terrible that I have to listen to him tell me what I'm doing today. Dear God, he has perfect abs…the perfect butt that denim has ever gripped…

Mind out of the gutter! Mind out of the gutter!

"I'm going to my room!" I say, twirling and walking fast to my door. I slam it and lock it behind me.

I honestly would have loved to push him back on that couch and ravished him. I have never been dirty. Why am I suddenly dirty?

I grab my cell phone and press number one on my speed dial and hope to be connected straight to the only person I can blame for my problems: Alice Cullen.

As it rings, I sit against my door, hoping my weight will block him from coming in. I count the rings. One ring, two rings, I hear the water run through my apartment walls to reach the shower, three rings…

"Hello?" I let out a breath I was holding when Alice answers the phone.

"Alice!" I breathe into the phone. "Alice, you've got to help me! It's about Edward!"

Alice doesn't talk for a moment. When she does speak, she sounds completely unworried. "You slept with him, didn't you?"

"No!" I screech, appalled.

"You kissed him?"

"No!" I say, trying to talk. "I…"

"Ok, so if you didn't have sex with him and you didn't kiss him, what is wrong?" Alice is making a face on the other line, I know.

"Are those seriously the only two problems you see with him living with me?" I ask. I'm concerned that her mind is more in the gutter than mine.

I think Alice shrug on the other end. I hear her chopping something in the background. "Pretty much," she says. "I mean, he's an attractive young, rich man who is obviously looking for someone equally desirable…and did I mention he's sexy?"

I pause. "You do realize that you're talking about your brother, right?"

Alice laughs. "Yep. And there really isn't anything I wouldn't do to push the two of you together to get him away from Tanya."

I shake my head. "I really wish I had never taken this job," I mutter. "Look, are you going to listen or not?"

Alice sighs. "Yes, Bella, I'm here. I'm cooking breakfast, though, so if I sound spacey, that's why."

Great. My best friend can't even deal with a crisis with me… "Look," I begin, instead. "I had a dream about Edward," I say.

Alice stops. I can tell I'm back on handheld as opposed to her normal speaker routine. "Do tell!" She says.

I hold my breath before I begin, wondering where to start. "I fell asleep on the couch last night with Edward," I begin.

Alice is smiling when she speaks. "Steps in the right direction…"

"And," I say, "I woke up from a dream that was horribly erotic and I never EVER want him appearing there again!"

Alice starts in on me immediately. "You're telling me that you're both attracted to each other, you're having erotic dreams about my brother and you are NOT going to pursue it?" She sounds upset with me. I can't understand why. This is my crisis here.

"Alice," I begin. "This would go nowhere, ok? He wants Tanya!"

Alice is going to speak, but thinks better of it. I hear the water shut off. I've got about five minutes before Edward realizes that I am not in the living room or kitchen cooking and then I'm going to have to come up with some inventive lie. "Alice, I can't face him like this!" I say. I'm frazzled and the things I want to do to him…

I hear a knock on the door. So much for that five minutes. "Bella?" I hear the angelic voice from behind the door. "Bella, are you alright?" After I don't answer he knocks again. "Bella, answer before I break down this door!"

"AW!" I hear Alice gushing on the other end. "He cares!"

"I'm fine!" I shout back to Edward, and then return to Alice. "Alice, help me!" I hiss into the phone.

Alice doesn't seem to want to be very helpful. "Short of locking yourself in your room all day, there's nothing you can do! Oh, hold on, Edward's calling me. I'll be back."

"No, wait!" I say, but Alice is gone. I wait five minutes before considering hanging up my phone. I can't even hear their conversation through the door.

I hear Alice come back through. "Ok, where were we?"

"Can't I just come stay with you?" I ask. I sound like a whinny ten year old again, but I'm desperate.

"No," she says. All I hear is "I am evil and I think you two deserve to suffer."

"What?" I gawk. There is no way on this earth she refused to let me stay there!

"No," she repeats. "I think the only way that you can understand something is to face is," Alice says.

"So, you talked to Edward and he doesn't want me to leave," I reword for her.

"Not exactly," Alice says. "But, I think you should just make a move on him," she says.

"No, Alice!"

"Yes, Bella!" She mocks. "Just man up and deal with it. We all have our erotic dreams. They mean nothing other than the fact that sex with him would be fantastic!"

My mouth is on the floor. "Alice," I say, curtly. "Remember than pact we made to stay virgins until our wedding day?"

"…yeah," she says, guiltily.

"We both broke it, so just stop talking about your brother like he's a complete stranger! You're creeping me out!"

"That was the point. Bye, Bells! Talk to you soon!"

The phone goes dead in my hands. Was I just dismissed? Really?

Another knock at my door. "Bella, are you sure you're alright?" I hear Edward's distressed voice. "I'm…I'm worried about you…could you please open the door and talk to me?"

He sounds worried. Is that just his normal, chivalrous response. "I…" I try to think of an excuse. "I'm not feeling well," I say, going to plug my phone back in on the charger.

For a moment, the conversation stops. I start to change into my comfiest sweats, my warmest ones, the apartment is frigid, and grab my hair brush from the nightstand. I brush my hair back into a ponytail and am already in my pajamas before Edward talks again.

"Please," I hear from the other side. "Please, Bella, let me in. I went to med school. I can help you," he says.

Crap. I forgot he was a doctor and would know if I was faking. I go to unlock my door. "Ok," I say, guiltily, knowing he will find nothing wrong.

He doesn't even judge me, though. He picks me up off the floor and puts me on the bed, helping me to get under my blankets. "You don't need to be up. You need to be resting," he says.

I'm shocked. "I don't feel that…"

"Sh," he shushes me. I'm surprised. "I'm going to go get a thermometer and come back to check on you." He says. He's like an overconcerned golden retriever. He trusts my word, even. I feel so horrible for decieivng him, but I had to. That was the only excuse I could find for being locked up in my room all day.

Unfortunately, I have failed in my attempts to thwart Edward once again. I snuggle under my blankets and shut my eyes tight.

Shoot me now.

My day of over-attentive nursing haven't even begun yet and I already wanted to die.

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	10. Day Nine: In which

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are the property of various parties who I have lost track of in the course of the movie releases and book releases. I do own the concept, but it could have been done before.**

**I'm sorry if I sound like a complete idiot tonight/this morning. It's one a.m. Anyhow, I was on a role...and, so...I updated. This is a two part chapter! Review and I'll give you part 2! I'm going to shut up now because if I talk any more, I'm going to ramble at you!**

Day Nine: In which I push Edward Cullen back to Tanya what's-her-name…sort of…

I guess it isn't entirely bad being over-nursed. Every meal of the day, I had in bed, except when Edward carried me – yes, he carried me – out to the living room so that I could watch TV. It's a waste of my weekend, but, he was so sweet about it…

It turns out, I had a low grade fever, which, according to Edward means that I was sick. He explained that after a certain age it gets harder and harder to run a high fever, so, he wasn't taking any chances.

He seemed to forget about everything when he was taking care of me. I even asked him about work to find that he had taken the weekend off. He didn't do anything but be attentive to me. It was interesting.

The only downside to pretending to be ill was that Edward forced me to go to bed early. As in midnight early while I was watching my Nick at Night shows.

And I don't get to walk, I get carried. I'm not going to lie. It felt good to be in his arms. He's stronger than I thought and he doesn't comment that I'm heavy…ever…

He gently places me in bed and tucks me in without a word. "Do I have to go to bed now?" I groan, playfully.

He looks at me sternly. "You'll get better more quickly if you rest," he tells me. "You can lecture me later," he says more gently. "I'm not taking any chances with you, Miss Swan. After all, if you get very sick, who will help me get married in the next twenty-one days?"

I can't help but smile at him. He's an idiot. "Good night, Dr. Cullen," I say to him, pulling my blankets up to my neck.

"Good night, _ma belle_," he says. That confuses me. I didn't know he spoke French…or any language other than English. But, he closes the door before I can say anything about it.

I'm surprisingly exhausted and don't really pay attention to when I fall asleep, but I do know when I wake up. I wake up screaming. I'm breathing deeply, sobbing, but I can't even remember why. This hasn't happened to me since I was a teenager. I try to do what they told me to when I used to have night terrors: to remember that they are irrational.

But, I can't.

I'm still sobbing, telling myself that I have nothing to be afraid of, wrapping the blankets securely around me, and sitting stark straight in bed, waiting to calm down. Usually I could roll over and go straight back to sleep, but not today. I look at my alarm clock. It's three a.m.

"Bella!" Edward rushes through my door with a face that tells me he will beat to death the first thing he sees that looks threatening. He looks around the room and, I suppose, is satisfied that I had a nightmare. He softens immediately and comes over to my bed and sits on my left side. He takes me into his arms and rocks me. I curl into his chest and cling to him. I can't help it. I need the comfort he can give. I can't seem to make myself calm down right now. I feel him tense as I do this, but he does attempt to relax. "Can you talk about it?" He asks the question softly, comfortingly.

I shake. "I…I don't even know what happened," I sob.

He raises my chin. "Shh," Edward's sweet voice says, softly. He kisses the tears that are falling from my eyes. "You don't need to cry," he says gently. "I'm right here. I'll protect you."

My tears stop from the shock of his lips against my cheek. "How can you protect me from something neither of us can see?" I ask him, trying to avoid any further contact.

He smiles at me, a crooked smile that melts my heart. "There's only one cure for nightmares," he says, still smiling at me. "I'll hold you all night to keep them away. I'll sing you to sleep if that's what it takes. I won't let anything hurt you," he says. He holds me tightly and lays back. "Close your eyes and go to sleep," he says.

Oh, that's got to be easily said. He has a grown woman clinging onto him like a toddler. "I'm sorry," I say, my eyelids already getting heavier. I knew I would fall asleep easily if I just laid back down.

"Stop apologizing for everything, Bella." His voice is soothing. I listen to his heartbeat as I'm sprawled across him. It's like a lullaby in itself. Comforting, soothing.

"I'm sorry," I mumble, already half-asleep.

When he starts humming to me, I fall asleep almost immediately. He's beautiful. My life right now is beautiful…

At least I can pretend it's my life…

I wake up three hours later at six freakin' thirty in the morning. I'd have much preferred to sleep a little longer, but I'm not tired. I notice that I'm alone, meaning Edward has either already woken up or he has decided that he needs to move away from me to get some real sleep.

I wonder if I should consider investing in a futon. I don't think I'm getting rid of him any time soon.

Not only that, but I'm growing kind of fond of him…and his cooking.

I can't really wake him up…but my books are all in my living room on my bookshelf and if I can't at least get to those, there is absolutely nothing to do in here until Edward wakes up which could be three hours from now.

Ok, I have to be able to creep into my own living room, grab the first book I feel and come back to my bedroom. No big deal. The worst thing that could happen is I trip over the chord of a lamp, create a loud 'boom', my neighbors call the cops again, I have to explain in my pajamas to Sergeant someone why I created a loud crash, get another warning, and then I will have to drive myself to the hospital with my broken hip.

Sweet Jesus, I believe I'm accident prone.

I crawl out of bed. I'm being ridiculous. I can just walk into my own living room. Nothing bad will happen to me. I will have to forget about the above, but nothing bad will happen to me.

I walk on tip-toe to my door to find it open a crack and bright light streaming through that crack. Edward's awake? Oh, good! I can have some form of company.

Except, he's on the phone.

Seriously? At six a.m.? I sigh and decide to fill my curiosity by listening to who he's talking to.

"Why did you call, exactly, Tanya?" Ok. My world makes sense. She called him, not the other way around.

But, this is good, right? She's obviously not calling him at six a.m. on a Sunday to tell him she's breaking up with him. She's got to be calling because she misses him…

I hope…

I listen intently. Long pause, long pause… "Is that all that you wanted to say?"

Uh-oh.

Edward sighs. "Yeah…I miss you, too." More pauses. This isn't going to be a very long conversation with his attitude. It looks like something out of a music video. Edward's perfectly smooth chest glistening in the dim light…yep. It's definitely a cliché break up scene. Cue the mood music and everything would be perfect.

My therapist instincts want to run in there and save him from making the worst mistake of his life.

The sensible me says this is a private conversation that I'm not supposed to have any part of.

My instincts almost win.

"Tanya, I really don't think that's a good idea…" Oh, why couldn't she have called my home phone! "No…just…" This conversation was turning into an inner monologue. "Could you stop talking about yourself to listen to what I have to say?" He says, a little harsher than I think necessary. Of course, I can't hear what's being said on the other line.

Edward sighs, listening again to Tanya. I wait. "Tanya, I really think this is it. I think it's over." The pause is much shorter this time. "I'll come by Monday to get my things and give you my key. If you wouldn't mind, there are a few things I would be very grateful if you would keep until after I get my own place," he says.

He shakes his head at her. "Yes, that is the end of this discussion," he says, quietly.

There is a long pause that can be cut with a knife. I want to run in there and stop this…but I can't. I'm not even supposed to be here. I am a horrible, horrible therapist…

"I…I love you, too," he says, though it sounds strained, as if only said by force of habit and sheer willpower. I cringe. This can't be happening.

I have twenty-one days. He expects me to start from scratch in twenty-one days! He's got to be crazy. I will kill him for this! I will slap him and beat him into shape until he comes to his senses!

He has to go back to Tanya!

I refuse to leave my room until his cell phone is on the table next to him. I then wait a few seconds, watching him burying his head in his hands. I want to help him, but I don't know how any more. I'm on the verge of buying myself self-help books to help him!

I walk out slowly, hoping that he won't think I've been listening. He hears my footsteps, though. He smiles, refusing to let me see him downtrodden…what a sick, masochistic man.

"Hey," he says, smiling. I smile back. "I…I got a call from a friend of mine and I thought it would be better not to wake you up," he says. It's not a lie. On the contrary, it's a clever half-truth.

I move to sit on the couch as far away from him as possible. After an awkward silence in which I sense that he's not going to give me any more details about the conversation he had with his 'friend', I decide to push a little. "You seem kind of upset," I observe. "You want to talk about it?" He tenses a little at that. "Ok," I say. "I guess not."

I wait for him to crack. Most people do. After long silences, they are willing to tell you whatever you want to know.

He's different. He's not talking.

I sigh. "Ok…well, since neither of us are in a talking mood, my bagel place opens at seven and I expect us to be there when the door opens, so go get yourself cleaned up."

Edward looks at me as if he's not moving from that couch. "You're asking for a miracle," he says.

I roll my eyes. "I'm female. If I'm out of her faster than you, you're buying."

He's up and ready to accept that challenge. "I'll be paying for it, anyways."

I laugh. "You expect to be beaten?"

He shakes his head. "No," he says, smirking deviously. "But, I do know that I'm faster than you."

New rule of relationships: Never challenge a woman to anything.

Not only am I there first, I order for him and pay before he even has his wallet out of his pocket. "Beat that," I say as we sit down.

He rolls his eyes. "I let you win," he says. "Simple as that."

I smile at him, smugly. "I suppose next you'll be telling me that these bagels are terrible?"

He smirks. "They are."

I smack his arm. "You're a terrible person. You know how to ruin my day."

He laughs. "It is the goal of my existence." As I chew over my bagel in silence, I try to force him into making conversation. Unfortunately, that seems as if it isn't going to happen.

"So," I say, pulling apart my bagel. "Don't you think what you did to Tanya was a little harsh?"

He pauses for a second and looks at me seriously. "You heard?" He doesn't seem surprised, as if he decidedly planned it so I would be listening.

"I think the neighborhood heard," I say. I pick my bagel into smaller pieces. "So, do you want to say anything about it, or should I just tell you what I think?"

Edward opens his mouth. He sighs, possibly deciding better of what he was going to say. "Why don't you just tell me? You will in the end."

I think I should be offended. "I think that you're in love with her," I say, sipping my iced tea. "And I think you're stupid to let her go."

Edward looks at me, quite soberly and says one word: "Really?"

"Yes!" I say, shaking my head at him, laughing. "If you love someone, you can't just let them walk away! You have to go after them! You can't break up with them because she thinks you're rushing things. Who's to say she isn't right? I mean, you were only dating her for two weeks, Edward! She wasn't ready to commit yet," I say, gently. I'm hoping my passionate lecture might get me a few days in my apartment alone…with my paperbacks.

God, I sound pathetic…

Edward looks at me, as if he is considering something…as if I'm about to regret the decision he's going to make in the next five seconds. He takes my hand. "Bella, you're absolutely right."

My face must lighten instantly. "I'm so glad you feel that way!" I'm smiling like an idiot. He has no idea how happy I am that I'm actually making headway. I might actually be able to help him repair his relationship with Tanya! It's like a cartoon where the sparkles appear on the page and the character gets stary-eyed and…

Oh, who am I kidding? I probably actually look like that!

"If you love someone, you shouldn't let them go. Obstacles mean nothing if you really love someone. Is that what you're saying?" He sounds more and more like he's catching my drift!

I stand up, excited, ripping my hand out of his. "Exactly! And you need to start right now!"

Edward smiles at me. Then he laughs. "Ok," he says. "But, I don't know where to start."

"Oh, that's simple!" I roll my eyes. "You go out there and you make that woman happy!" _So I can read and watch TV and not have to pretend I'm sick when I'm daydreaming about you._

"Ok, then, let's start at the beginning, then," he says. I'm confused when he grabs my hand again.

I raise an eyebrow. I'm pretty sure half my face is paralyzed. I feel my eye twitch and I'm talking out of one side of my mouth. "What are you doing?"

"Isabella Marie Swan," he says calmly. "Will you marry me?"

Damn…

And that was just the first part of my day.

* * *

**DUN, DUN, DUH! ^-^**

**Hope you liked it. No, the story is not ending anytime soon, if anyone was concerned!**


	11. Day Nine: Take Two, Anyone?

**Disclaimer: Still broke, still writing fanfiction, still not owning Twilight!**

**I am SOOOO sorry that this took so long...and, yes, it did take threats of bodily injury to actually make me finish it! (They know who the are...)**** I didn't want this chapter to end...which is slightly pathetic. ^-^**

**I hope you enjoy this! Please, let me know! Hopefully the next update will be better..T-T**

**And document manager won't let me center any of this chapter, so, I'm sorry!**

Day Nine: Take two, anyone?

"No!" I yell again, pounding up the stairs toward my apartment. This is easier said than done when you're trying to run from a guy who has a good six inches on you. My tennis shoes threaten to trip me, as do my baggy jeans. I dressed for comfort, not avoidance.

Edward has been able to keep pace with me from the moment I left that bagel shop. This unfortunate event has only lead to a constant screaming match back and forth.

Actually, it's more like him opening his mouth and me yelling "No," to him over my shoulder. It's a funny exercise, actually. The sparse number of people on the street seem to think it is amusing. It makes me wonder what they would think if they knew what exactly this spat was over.

"Can we at least discuss this?" Edward asks as I try to sprint a few paces. He barely has to do more than take longer strides to meet my pace. I envy him and his long legs and his strange ability to make me angry even when he's not trying.

Maybe that's why women hate him. Once he opens his mouth the novelty is lost.

I'm appalled that he thinks there is anything to discuss at all. "Discuss what?" I can't help but want to smack him. He's teasing me as if it is normal. The man has no shame! "No!" I opt to say, knowing that we are nearing my apartment.

I want to know what goes through his head. Honestly. If I knew what he was thinking, I would know why he acted like this. I don't think I have ever met a man like him in my entire life!

He infuriates me and frustrates me…and I still daydream about him. My life is pathetic. I'm sure all of that will stop now.

"Bella," he tries again as I sprint up the stairs of my apartment building. He's falling behind enough that I feel more comfortable skirting him.

"No," I respond again, this time more flippantly. I will make it to my apartment. I will make it to my apartment. I'm digging the keys out of my pocket as I'm going up the stairs. I thrust the key into the lock and turn it as fast as I can and slam the door behind me. I bolt the door.

Edward doesn't even bother to turn the knob. "Bella," he says from outside. "Can you at least explain to me why you're so angry?"

I roll my eyes. "I think you know the answer to that question." I can't believe we're even having this discussion.

"Are you going to let me in?" He doesn't sound very hopeful on that charge.

"No," I respond once more. "Not on your life. There are just certain lines that we do not cross and now you can go and stay with your sister and explain to her why I will never let you into my home again," I say. It's not entirely serious, but I think he gets the point.

There is a long pause as I lean against the door. I sigh, thinking maybe he'll go and call Alice, who will try to play moderator…or attempt to talk me into marrying her brother to escape a life full of Tanya…either way, I'm not very hopeful that Alice won't talk me into anything she wants…

Edward's next sentence takes me off guard. "Would it help if I said I was gay?"

This sentence takes me off guard. It takes me off guard enough that I unbolt the door. Could it be? How could it be possible that the only perfect man I have ever met doesn't like women? As I stand there, braced against the door, I look him over. Why am I even asking these questions? With my track record with men, it's highly possible that he is gay. "Well, that explains…a lot…" I can't think of anything else to say. I finally build up the gumption to ask a follow up question. "Are you serious?"

Edward has a hand on the door. "No," he says. I try to push the door shut. "But, I did get the door open." I am apparently incapable of overpowering him and he pushes his way into my apartment.

"Wait, what?" I am horribly confused. "Ok, forget it! Out of my home!"

I hold the door open, motioning him out. This isn't working. Edward laughs. "Are you seriously going to kick me out?"

I glare. "Are you seriously asking me that question?"

Edward shakes his head. I can tell he is more amused by my attempt to kick him out than he was with my attempts to reject his fake marriage proposal.

At least, I think it's fake.

Edward laughs at me. It's such a sad state of affairs. "Seriously! This is not funny!" My phone starts ringing. "Edward! Out!" I attempt one last time. He sits down on my couch and flips on the TV to add to the chaos.

I'm going to kill him. That's the only solution.

I drag myself into the kitchen, clutching my temples, ready to bash my skull in. "Hello?"

My mother's cheery voice greets me. Hackles rise on the back of my neck. No way is this happening…I have a man on my couch who is clearly more than okay with my sick fantasies about him and my mother is calling. Good God!

"Hi, honey!" I'm twitching already.

"Hi, mom!" I try to say with as much false cheer as possible. "How are you? How's Florida?" I glance at Edward, who doesn't seem surprised at all by the phone call.

"It's hot and muggy, as always…and it has rained more here than it ever did in Washington," she muses. Somehow, I doubt that. A downpour is what put me in this situation. Not to mention the fact that we get some kind of precipitation everyday… "But, enough about us here. We haven't heard from you in ages!"

Yeah…because the nine days since I last spoke with you have been SO exciting…

"It's been…different here…" I say. There is just no other way to describe the man who lives on my couch, cooks half-naked, works as some kind of doctor, and just asked me to marry him…

My mom catches that. "Oh…different, how?" She says it as if she just discovered the most juicy gossip of the century.

I'm leaning against my couch, elbows pushed into the marble. I glance at Edward. I sigh. "Yeah…Alice's brother needed a place to stay…so, he's staying in the apartment I use for work. I pretty much moved out of Alice's house…"

"Alice's brother?" My mom catches that, of course, but doesn't care that I decided to move out of Alice's house and I'm sure that she doesn't really care why I chose to move out! "Is he gorgeous? Is he single? How long is he staying? Do I have time to get there before he leaves?"

"Mom!" I must look completely appalled because Edward glances at my other phone and points to it. I make a gesture as if I'm cutting off my head and mouth 'no' to him. This is a conversation that he should not hear. "It's not like he's a dog! You don't have to meet him!"

Edward picks up my phone and glances at the caller ID. I shake my head, walking toward him to take the phone. Must we play these juvenile games? Yeah, pretty much.

"Well, is he cute? Why don't you make a move on him?" My mother…only my mother…

Of course, this is the woman who tried to set me up with her best friend's cousin's sister-in-law's friend she was so desperate for me to get married.

Why are mothers always like that, anyways?

I massage my forehead and close my eyes in frustration. "Mom, we are not discussing this right now…" Preferably never.

I hear Edward click on the other line. "Edward!" I snap, aloud this time. His smile is positively devious.

"Oh! He can hear me, can't he?" My mom is going to be hung up on soon here…

"Hello, Ms. Dwyer," Edward says sickeningly polite.

"Hello, Edward!" My mom is excited. She seems to think it is wonderful to have him staying here. She hasn't even met him. I believe that it is irrational to judge him based on the fact that he's gorgeous.

"Mom, Edward, Edward, Renee Dwyer. Please, don't talk about me too much while I'm standing right here," I mutter into the phone. Edward laughs. My mom laughs with him.

They're both as good as dead to me. I will start a new life without them as I die of mortification!

"Ms. Dwyer, would you care to explain to you daughter the benefits of being married, because she doesn't seem to see them," he says, playing dirty. I'm going to hang up this phone and move in with Alice.

"He asked you to marry him?" My mom sounds ecstatic.

"Ok," I say. "You guys bond! I'm going to go find a hole to crawl into and ignore your dirty tricks." I'm such a teenager…

"Now, Bella, don't be rude!" My mother doesn't even know the half of it. Rude in this situation would even cover it. In this situation, pushing Edward off the Brooklyn Bridge isn't even rude.

Slightly illegal, but far from rude.

Edward looks at my disdainful look and smirks. "It was lovely speaking with you, Ms. Dwyer, but I believe that the look I'm receiving across the room is a sign that if I do not hang up this phone your daughter is going to behave very much like she did when she was twelve and slap me."

"Oh, please, call me Renee. And any time you want to talk, you just call me!" Oh, yes, mother. Thank you for informing the world you are a married cougar.

Even as Edward turns off the phone, I feel like my personal space bubble has been violated. He talked to my mother! I barely know the guy. "You slapped him?" That statement brings me back to reality.

"Huh?" I'm confused for a second. "Oh! No, no…that never happened. He's just…Well, he's Edward…"

Edward turns on the TV and turns the volume down low. I know he's still listening. I look between him and a spot on the wall. He looks like a statue carved of marble. He's Adonis in the modern day. He's slowly killing me.

"Hey, Mom," I say, even though my mother is in the middle of rambling about something. "Can I let you go and call you back later? The TV's on and it's kind of distracting."

My mom pauses for a second. "You like him, don't you."

"Mom!" I take the phone away from my ear and look at it appalled. Seriously? This is what I live with? I shake my head. "Hanging up the phone now! Good bye!"

As I put the phone back on the cradle, Edward looks at me out of the corner of his eye. I take a defensive pose, leaning against my counter, arms crossed. "I slapped you?"

Edward doesn't look up. "You were twelve and you didn't slap me, per say. I was much too tall for you to slap. You did, however shove a heel into my foot."

I'm confused. I don't remember assaulting him… "When was this?"

Edward mutes the TV. "My parents decided to renew their vows when I was seventeen, though for what reason other than the fact that my mother likes ceremony, I will never know. You were standing in the corner because you didn't have anyone to dance with and Alice was off with one of our uncles. You have always been a wallflower," Edward remarked, glancing up at me with a sly smirk.

Again, I think I should be offended. "Meaning?"

Edward is still smiling at me. "Meaning that ever since I first met you, you haven't ever wanted to stand out or believe that there was anything unique about yourself. You met Alice when you were ten and she always talked about muscling you out of the way! But, when I'm alone with you, I hear your opinions, your thoughts…you could do something with your life instead of sitting in the background watching everyone else."

I stop him before this can go any farther. "Ok, enough girl-to-girl bonding time. I drove my high heel through your foot and…?"

He shakes his head, but his smile is still in place. I'm glad someone finds me amusing. "I asked if you wanted to dance, thinking it was chivalrous. You, however, called me a creep and hit me with your shoe!"

I'm giggling, uncontrollably. I try to stop myself, but I keep laughing at him. "You're serious?"

Edward levels me a look that tells me he doesn't appreciate my laughter. "I wouldn't lie to you about something like that," he returns.

I laugh and go to join him on the couch. "Even at twelve years old I knew you were going to be that freeloader staying on my couch, thwarting my efforts to help you get a date," I say.

He shakes his head and returns back to the television. After a long silence as we sit, flipping through channels, Edward decides to break the silence. "You know, there is one way that your plights could all be avoided," he says, without looking at me.

I can't help but feel giddy. "Really? Enlighten me because you're driving me insane!"

He turns to face me, smirking. "Marry me," he says.

I pick up my couch pillow and hit him square in the face with it. Bella is not amused. "No."

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**...did you laugh or feel sorry for him? Ha ha.**


	12. Day Ten: The Amazons

**Disclaimer: Still don't own "Twilight" as my bank account reminded me as I bought my text books.**

**I thought I was going to finish this Tuesday night and go completely and totally distracted with packing. I moved in my dorm Wednesday and, being bored out of my mind, I decided that I needed to get this up before it killed me.**

**So...I hope you like it! I don't mean to bore you guys with stories of my life, so, enjoy! Review for a cookie and a quote!...you may request the cookie type. Ha ha.**

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Day Ten: The Amazons were on the right track…

"How on earth did you…" I stop. "No. Never mind. I don't want to know." There is not a single way that I can say this. Here is the god of destruction sitting at my kitchen table, being given the fifth degree. Hell, I don't even know if I'm using that right!

"What I want to know is…" I sigh in exasperation. "I can't even begin to ask any questions because I know I'm going to think about it and if I think about it, I'm going to smash the closest thing to me."

Edward looks extremely uncomfortable. I won't even allow him to explain. He doesn't need to explain. I don't care! "Bella, I've already said that I'll buy you a new mattress."

I glare. "I don't care if you want to buy me a new mattress. I CARE that my old mattress is SCORCHED!"

Edward appears completely rational. I don't know what possessed him to put candles in my bed room. His excuse when I got home for lunch? Fung shui. The free-loading doctor who works more hours than I'm awake has no clue what he's doing!

I pace around the kitchen, as if that's going to help me with my anger. Why on earth did he have to work third shift today? Seriously! Why me?

"Ok," I say, hoping that I can work through this rationally. "First step, call Angela and cancel my appointments. Second step, go shopping for a new mattress so that I have a place to sleep tonight that isn't the floor."

Edward interrupts my train of thought. "I am paying for everything."

"Yeah, yeah," I say, trying not to look at him. I can't look at his face. I will want to crush him.

Edward gets up from the table. He sighs, frustrated with me. I'm not sure why. He has no right to be angry with me. I have every right to want to throttle him!

I glance at my scorched mattress. He had the decency to move it into my living room. Because it being the first thing that I see when I walk in is definitely better than telling me about it later. I sigh. "Well, I can honestly say you look worse than the other guy," I murmur to my mattress. I've only had it for five years. It could have easily lasted me another two and then some. I glare back at its contender. "Sadly, your competition doesn't have a scratch on him," I hiss. He would soon, though.

Edward shakes his head. "Come on," he says. "Let's get going. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can make sure you've got a new bed to sleep in tonight."

If only he didn't look so good in that expensive gray sweater that hugged every muscle in his upper body, I might have to kill him…but the blood would ruin the sweater and who could mar something so perfect?

I pick up my jacket in a fist. I'm so angry, I don't need to put it on. I'm boiling with rage. I don't care how thin this stupid blouse is, I feel nothing but anger and frustration. The frustration is so great that Edward doesn't even bother to argue about whose car we're taking and he sure as Hell knows better than to try to lead the way. I wonder if he knows I'm plotting to throw him down the stairs…

I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and hit speed dial one. The cheery "hello" is too much for me. "Angela," I say, knowing it sounds biting. I clear my throat. I need a do-over to the entire day…and fair warning that this is going to happen. Yeah….wouldn't that be nice?

"Sorry," I say, holding back the hell-fire I want to unleash. "Can you cancel my appointments for today? Ask them if they could possibly reschedule for tomorrow at the same times?" I can definitely go for skipping out on Alice and her 'must find wedding dress' shopping.

Dead-serious, I will be buying my wedding dress sometime in the week before my wedding…possibly the day before…

Angela seems shell-shocked by the request. "What?"

"Cancel and reschedule everything from one to five. In other words, I'm missing four appointments. Can you reschedule them for tomorrow at the same time? Apologize to them profusely on my part! Please?" I'm getting a headache. Mindless shopping while oo-ing and ah-ing at Alice would be preferable to hearing the wailing of a sexually frustrated married couple, a socially awkward businessman, and some other people who have the same problems I do. But, I keep my word and this was completely out of my control.

Angela must be glancing at the clock. "Do I even want to know what happened now?"

I wonder momentarily if she can hear me pounding down the steps of my apartment building. "Let's just say that I have to buy a new mattress for my bed because the other one got a little scorched."

Angela laughs on the other line. She's lucky I can't see her. "At least you didn't come home to find another woman in your kitchen, right? I mean, the fact that your unwanted roommate set fire to your bed is preferable to finding him in a compromising position."

I groan. "Please tell me that was sarcasm." The images in my head are not pretty and mainly consist of Edward unclothed. By the time Angela goes through all of the details of my appointments and confirms that she is going to reschedule them, I'm wrenching open the door to my truck. If it breaks down on me today, I will cry.

Edward climbs in the other side as I'm trying to balance my phone between my shoulder and my ear as I fumble with the keys. "Angela, you're an angel," I say, though my face definitely does not betray my gratitude.

"Tell me about it," she says, sarcastically. "I work with you," she says, good naturedly before she hangs up the phone.

I turn the key, praying the car roars to life before I even drop the phone. "Ok, where are we going, since you insist on paying for everything?" I ask the question with venom in it. I know I'm going to have absolutely no say in this.

Edward shrugs. "You're driving, you tell me."

I feign gratitude. "Oh, thank you, Mr. High and Mighty, for allowing me to make my own decision. I feel so humbled by this."

Edward's face grows serious. "Bella, do you want me to drive?"

"Absolutely not," I snap. I am pretty sure that I am being completely irrational. "I'm driving as I have the permission to pick everything out!" I took a deep breath to steady myself. He deserved every bit of ire that I held for him, but I shouldn't snap at him for everything he said.

I also was not going to apologize.

I'm going to find myself a God-damn department store and I am going to get a new mattress.

Of course, the mattress store I let Edward talk me into works, too.

I guess there is a high point to this: I get to jump on mattresses for the rest of the day. It's like being a kid in a candy-store all over again. This is something that you wish you could do every day. Walking through the door to see all of the mattresses, stock piled. It's heaven. I could totally start a massive trampoline with this. I won't, though. Because that would be immature...and it really doesn't matter what my inner six year old says.

The sales person who rushes over to us makes me want to double over in pain. She's gorgeous, blonde, and has the curves of a Miss America contestant. If I weren't in such a bad mood, I'd ask for her number for my "friend." I could care less if it sounded creepy, I'm desperate.

"Hello," she practically purrs…at Edward. Oh, joy. "My name is Lauren. I'm one of the sales associates. Do you need help today or do you already see what you like?"

Half wondering if that's a pick-up line, I almost say something, but decide better of it. I'm beginning to wonder what pheromone reaction causes women to swarm to him like bees to honey. He's attractive, I'll admit. I'm attracted, I'll admit. But, I can control myself! I see married women look at him sinfully! There is something wrong with that!

Edward looks to me and sees me shrug before he takes control of the situation…awkwardly. "_We're _looking for a new mattress," he says, looking at the woman in front of him as if frightened. I note how he emphasizes the word 'we'. I feel like giggling. Yeah…sure there is a 'we' to this situation.

Lauren, the sales girl, purses her lips, almost as if she is disgusted. "Alright," she says. "Is there anything specific that you two have in mind? For both of your comfort?"

Oh, yes. Hedging for information. "Actually," I say, "It's for my bed." I see the light in her eyes. "He ruined it. And, yes, he's single." I give Edward a devious smirk. He looks like I hit him.

Ah, well. Easy come, easy go. That and he ruined my bed. I think I have a legitimate reason for being upset with him.

I must admit that the reaction of Lauren the sales girl is priceless. She looks fit to be tied and is almost on top of Edward as we begin walking through the store. And, even though Lauren is asking me about the bed, she is talking solely to Edward. I could almost feel sorry for him…if I weren't so angry.

The first mattress we are escorted to, or, Edward is escorted to, is a feather top. I throw myself onto it, knowing that Lauren is occupied. I sit up and bounce up and down, my feet still touching the floor. "I like this one," I remark. "It's extremely comfortable…and it's bouncy." I love it, actually. I didn't know that my old mattress was that warn out.

"No," Edward remarks. The hackles rise on my neck.

"Excuse me?" I say this with a raised eyebrow. "It's my bed."

"It's just not going to work. There are plenty of mattresses in the store. You need to look around."

I twitch. "Why isn't it going to work exactly?"

"It just isn't," he says.

"Well, happily, you aren't going to be the one sleeping in it," I say through clenched teeth.

Edward considers for a moment. "Yet," he remarks. "I don't sleep in your bed, yet."

I get up, fist clenched, shoulders up to my ears with anxiety and embarrassment. "Mark my words, it's my bed. You will never be near it AGAIN!" I push out through my teeth.

Lauren doesn't like his comment, either. She glares at me, actually as I begin to make my way through the store. I'm not too sure why she's glaring at me. It's not like it's my fault he's a perverted bastard…

Then again, it's also not his fault he attracts women like a cow attracts flies. It's also not his fault that I can't get the feel of his mouth out of my mind and would jump into bed with him the second he asked.

Lauren becomes busy with another customer after that. I'm not sure I like that, either. I hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE Edward Cullen.

For the next thirty-five minutes, we look at mattresses. It's like apartment shopping all over again. "You can't buy that mattress," he remarks at one point. "It won't support your body right when you sleep. It might be comfortable now, but later, you will regret it."

"We can't buy that one," he says of the next one. "I don't even think that will fit your bedframe."

When he finally agrees with me on a mattress, it is definitely not the one I want. As a matter of fact, another part of me dies at the price tag. Edward Cullen has killed so many parts of me that I'm not even sure if there is anything that is mentally still alive.

"I refuse!" I screech at him.

Edward looks at me very calmly. "I'm paying for it, Bella. As a matter of fact, I believe we both can agree that it is the most comfortable mattress you've sat on this past hour," he remarks, as if that fixes _anything_.

I get off the mattress and walk around again. I have to find the one that he hates the most. There has to be one.

And I find it. As soon as I sit on it, he protests.

"Bella, you are not getting that mattress." It sounds more like an order than a request. And, with those words, I know that I am buying this mattress. It is the most uncomfortable thing that I have ever sat on. It is cheap, it is hard, I will never be able to sleep on it and I am beyond caring. He hates it. I need my own opinion and if he hates it that much, it doesn't matter how much I hate it! I am getting it.

"Yes, I am," I say, with a glare. "I am buying this mattress because you hate this mattress. And if you hate this mattress so much, then I am going to get it so that I don't feel like you are controlling my opinion. And I happen to like this mattress, thank you!" I say through clenched teeth.

I think he is going to protest.

He doesn't say a word.

I'm not sure if I should be infuriated that there is not reaction or if I should just thank God that he is not arguing with me.

I'm actually horrendously surprised when he agrees and buys the mattress for me. I mean, why on earth would he do that? He completely disagrees with me. There is no reason for him to try to help me!

But, I know the truth. He's a gentleman. He pays for the delivery and even tells me to drop him at the apartment and he'll take care of it if I want to go get my last session in. It's sweet, but, instead, I help him…that and I took the entire day off, anyhow.

It isn't until I go to bed that night that I realize Edward had a plan the entire time. As I lay on the uncomfortable mattress, trying to get comfortable, I know why he didn't bother to argue. He did this to teach me a lesson.

By the time I realize this, I am so exhausted that I want to cry. I take my blanket and a pillow and lay on my rug on the floor.

Maybe I shouldn't be so adamant about disagreeing with Edward.

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**Oh, if anyone wants an explanation of the chapter title, let me know. If I get an overwhelming amount, I'll just post it in the next update. Sorry if this was a crappy update! T-T**


	13. Day Eleven: Life hits you

**Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with Twilight except the concept to this story.**

**Le Gasp! The author is updating? And it's not even been a full week yet? *pass out***

**Anyhow...I survived my first week of classes...and I'm procrastinating already. But, this is my gift to you guys, my readers! I hope you like this semi-long chapter!

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Day Eleven: Life hits you…even when you don't expect it

I wake up, not to an alarm, not to the smell of food, but to a door hitting me in the forehead. All I hear is a resounding 'thump' before Edward's voice.

"Bella! Are you alright? I am so sorry." He somehow manages to squeeze into the room without abusing my head anymore and kneel down next to me. By this time, though, I'm already sitting up, gripping my forehead, as if that will somehow make the pain go away.

"Yeah," I growl, groggily. "Fine," I lie. I might be able to avoid the "why were you lying on the floor discussion."

He practically jerks my hand away from my forehead and immediately goes into doctor mode. "I was just coming to tell you that I was leaving. God, damn it, Bella! Why were you sleeping on the floor like that?"

As he examines my head, I can't help but wonder why he's angry at me for sleeping on the floor when he's the one who slammed the door to my room into my head. Even as my head is throbbing, I can see just how illogical his anger is. I kind of want to hit his head with the door and see if he likes it.

It's really hard to bite my tongue and not say anything biting to Edward as he examines my head. "You're going to have a bruise there…damn it, Bella. Why didn't you sleep next to the bed? I didn't think you were going to sleep next to the door!"

Yeah, well, if I'd slept NEXT to the bed, that would have required common sense, now wouldn't it? "It seemed logical at the time…" I mutter as he touches a particularly sore spot on my forehead.

"And?" he prompts.

"And the rug was soft," I say as he moves away. He helps me to my feet, but doesn't say anything entirely humiliating like I would have said to him. He says nothing that makes me feel entirely stupid at all.

He helps me to my feet, though I am still wearing my baggy pajamas, my shirt is falling off my shoulder, and I now have a migraine the size of Greece thanks to Edward, and I would really like to just roll over and pray for a do-over. With Edward in my life, that seems to be a recurring pattern. "Come on," he says, gently. "Let's get some food in you." He pretty much guides me, gripping my forehead, into the kitchen. He pushes a plate of food at me.

My only response is to push the food around my plate with the fork he lays out. My hair is falling in my face, I want a shower, and the pain in my head is all that I am going to be focusing on for the next few days. "Bella," he says. "You need to eat." He sighs at me, like I am a spoiled child who is being resilient. He leans down against the counter and takes my fork from my hand. He spears a piece of my scrambled eggs and brings it to my lips. "Say 'ah,'" he says. I half-heartedly take the bite off the fork. He smiles. "There you go," he says.

I shake my head. "I'll eat…eventually," I say.

He sighs, gets another bite onto the fork. "Ah," he says again. And his concern is sadly adorable. He looks extremely good in his jeans and his tight fitting gray sweater. I lick the bite off the fork. "Good girl," he says, laying the fork down. "Ok, I ordered you a new mattress. No complaints, no protests. I think you've learned your lesson. By the time it arrives I should be off my shift," he says, glancing at the clock. "Take all the time you need today with Alice."

I stand up and walk with him to the door. "Yes, because I want to spend so much time with Alice, shopping for wedding dresses…" I say, drolly.

Edward rolls his eyes. After he slings his bag up onto his shoulder, he gently grabs my shoulders. "You'll be fine," he says. "Don't forget to have fun at work today." He kisses me quickly before he leaves. "And don't forget to ice your forehead and eat your breakfast."

I'm so shocked by the fact that he kissed me that I don't respond until he runs out the door. "…o…okay." I sigh. I plop myself down on my chair and take a few more bites of the eggs. I need to get dressed.

I pick up my plate and dump the food in the trash can. There is no way that I can eat right now. I'm going to pull on jeans and a blouse and be gone. I'm in no mood to mess with anything fancy right now. I'm too annoyed…with what, I don't know.

My cell phone starts ringing frantically in my bedroom, forcing me to forsake putting my dishes in the sink and running into the room to jump across my bed and grab for it. "What?" I snap, not even thinking to look who it is.

"Ouch," Alice replies on the other line. "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Are you going to rip my head off on our way to shop?"

The troll in me who is clearly still not awake wants to reply _maybe_, but I'm sure that that would be bad. "I didn't wake up on any side of the bed this morning, Alice. For your own personal amusement, I woke up to your brother smacking me in the forehead with a door!"

Alice tries so hard to hold back her giggles. Unfortunately, she fails. "I'm so sorry, Bella! How did you get hit by the door?"

"I slept on the floor last night," I grumble as I strip my pajamas off and work on putting my bra on. "Look, did you want something or did you just call to tell me you're on your way?"

Removing the phone from my ear long enough to yank my ponytail down, I still miss part of it. "…way over," I hear.

"Can you repeat that?" I ask, raking my hair out with my brush. It curls a little oddly, but something tells me I don't have much time to dwell on that.

"I'm on the way over there right now. Rosalie can't come with us, so I thought that would give us time to kill before we have to have you back at work." Alice rambles on, though I'm still confused as I yank a pair of jeans down from a hanger and grab a blouse and a camisole.

"Why isn't Rose coming?" I throw what I have on my bed and run around, looking for my mascara. This is all making me extremely dizzy and slightly ill. "Nevermind. I'm going to get dressed. Call when you're outside," I say, moving into my living room to look for my mascara. I hang up my phone, put it in my bra, bend down to look in a drawer and my front door opens.

I think everything happens at once to create the most mortifying day of my life. Through my door, walks Edward Cullen, I scream bloody murder, Edward looks horribly embarrassed, we're both screaming at each other…and neither one of us has the sense to leave. I'm sure that I could get good blackmail money off of the look on his face…if only I had pictures.

"What are you doing here?" I growl, standing there, in my underwear, ready to kill him.

"I forgot…" He closes his eyes and turns around, shutting the door. "Oh, what does it matter! Why are you running around nearly naked?"

"Touchee!" I respond. I walk to my room, probably more casually than I should. I shut the door, say damn the mascara and decide that I can live without it as I get dressed, refusing to acknowledge Edward on the other side of that door as I pull on my jeans.

"I'm leaving now," he says loudly as I hear the front door open.

"Bye!" I yell to him before the door slams shut. I sigh in relief before I finish getting dressed. I barely have time to pull on my jacket when my cell phone rings again. "Dear God! Can you not go five minutes without calling me?"

Alice pauses before she speaks. "You said to call when I was outside?"

The awkward silence is tangible. "Oh…okay….I'll…be right there." I throw the cell phone in the purse as I hang it up and run outside to Alice's waiting Mitsubishi Spyder. She wanted a Porsche, but her parents had laughed at her all through high school about it. When she could buy a car for herself, she chose the next best, affordable option.

So, I'm being forced to go shopping in a canary yellow convertible…At least I have a jacket….too bad my hair is down. I sigh as I slide in the passenger side. "Hi," I say, buckling myself in.

Alice smiled sweetly. "In a better mood, Mr. Grumpy Gills?"

I roll my eyes. "Alice, just drive and make sure you get me back before my only appointment at three." The only high point to my day was that everyone cancelled on me...except one, inconsiderate person who couldn't understand that I might have scheduled a day off a week ago for a purpose.

Alice doesn't like that comment. As she puts the car in gear, she responds, "How could you care so little about something that means so much in my life?"

I roll my eyes at her again. "Because it's your wedding, Alice. You're supposed to care more than me." I am gripping onto the edge of my seat, honestly, waiting for her to speed off. The woman is a speed demon behind the wheel. I hold my breath as she weaves in and out of traffic to get to some chincy bridal store downtown because the y have a dress on hold for her.

If we make it anywhere alive under Alice's driving skills, I am always slightly relieved.

I want to kiss the ground as I roll out of the car. I don't care who is looking. The fact that the consultants in the store are looking at me funny as I come hobbling in the door doesn't even matter to me. Alice's driving frightens me. The woman got a speeding ticket at seventeen for speeding in a 45. She was going 112 miles per hour.

Mr. Cullen was not a happy man that night.

Alice blithely skips into the store, quite the contrast to myself, and strikes up a conversation with the consultants. All of whom seem to know her. Of course.

"Ms. Cullen!" One of the sales consultants gushes. Alice speaks money when she walks. She breathes class. Unfortunately, people who work commission see this and flock to her like sharks to blood in the water. "What can we do for you today?"

Alice looks so adorable, you would think that she was a flower girl as opposed to the bride. "Hello, Elise," Alice smiles, kindly. "I put a dress on hold here so that I could try it on. Did you guys also get my request for the other few?"

The sales girl, Elise, now leads us behind the counter to retrieve four different dresses from the backroom. "If you'll follow me, Ms. Cullen, I'll show you to a changing room and you can decide if any of these meet your fancy."

Alice smiles brightly, excited. I, on the other hand, am almost intoxicated on the satin and crinoline in this store. There are dresses of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Even so, I know that Alice has her mind set. Simple and chic, yet elegant and dainty…and long. I'm sure that Alice has had her wedding dress picked out since we were six years old. She knows which one of those dresses she is going to be buying and she knows that she doesn't need to try on all of them.

But she is going to.

I'm actually surprised when I get set in a chair in a corner like a naughty child. I was not invited to sit here all day while Alice tried on dresses like a princess…though I must admit that I will be oo-ing and ah-ing at each and every one of them.

I grow bored as they wrestle Alice into the first one…and it has only been five minutes.

I look at all the satin and lace. This is a little girl's dream. I am actually rather intimidated by this place. When I was a little girl, a fairytale wedding, a ball gown…all of those things were gorgeous, beautiful fantasies. Now, I don't want any of this. I don't want to get dolled up and wear the white.

And, yet, there's a dress in the corner that catches my eye. I want it. It's floor-length, corseted, strapless with a sweet-heart neck line. The skirt is like a beautiful ball gown with a slight train. It's something cooked up by Disney. The entire thing is beaded with vines and flowers. And it's not an Alice white, it's an ivory. I reach out to touch the bodice. It is beautiful.

"Bella?" I hear Alice behind me. I spin around to see Alice in a mermaid gown. It is bright white, a halter neck…and it's plain. That's not something that Alice usually goes for. I know it's her least favorite. "What do you think?" she asks, spinning around, holding her arms out like a fairy.

I smile. "It looks nice…but it's not you," I say. I glance back at the dress. "You need to try this one on."

Alice gets a gleam in her eye. "Maybe," she says. She pauses for a moment, considering. "You know, I think you are right," she says, not even bothering to step up onto the platform in front of the mirrors. "I don't think this is the right dress. I think I'll try the other three on."

And, with that, Alice disappears and I am left alone with my dress. She didn't seem to like it the way I did. And that saddened me to an extent. Because I wanted to see this dress on a person…somehow. And, as Alice came out modeling another dress, I'm slightly jealous that none of the dresses are mine.

But she makes all of them look good with her fashion model figure. I like everything that she is wearing. But, I know the Alice way of life: save the best for last.

So, I'm waiting for that last dress because I know she will be a knock-out. And I couldn't be less disappointed an hour later. Out she comes in a mermaid gown, bold white satin and beautiful lace. It is definitely Alice. All flowery lace and beauty.

I can't help but smile.

"That's it," we both say at once. At least it's only eleven-thirty. Alice twirls around like a little girl. I kind of wish Rosalie could see. Of course, Rosalie thinks that Alice is trying to plan a shot-gun wedding, even though everyone knows that Alice is definitely not pregnant. Rosalie just thinks she's trying to plan this too fast.

Alice sighs, content, in front of the mirrors. "This is perfect, Bella."

I can only nod. "And we all know that Jasper will think it is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I don't deserve him," she said, primping, though I knew they were made for each other. And I could see her matching him perfectly in that dress, him in his Marine formal. I couldn't wait for those pictures. They would look heaven sent.

And only after I was forced into a fluffy concoction of chiffon and silk would I think differently.

As Elise, the woman who seems ready to please Alice's every whim, straightens the train out behind her so that she can look at it in the mirror, Alice remarks, "Why don't you try that one over there on?"

I wrinkle my nose. "Alice, the point of a bridesmaid is not to outshine the bride." I look at the dress I'd been admiring. There is at least ten pounds worth of beadwork on it and the skirt, being fuller than Alice's, just seems to take the spotlight away from everything around it. "I think I'll pass," I say, slightly confused.

Alice scoffs. "Not for your bridesmaid's dresses. Just for fun," she says, not understanding why I'm not up for the idea. "Why don't you just do it so that we can look back on it and laugh later…or determine that, whenever you decide to get married, that's your dress no and-s, if-s, or but-s about it."

Elise the sales consultant must be in on this plot. She smiles too brightly not to be. "It would look absolutely stunning on you," she says. She's totally in on it. "Why don't you just let me help Ms. Cullen out of this one and then I can help you with it," she says, cheerily.

She must get paid on commission.

I try to protest. "No, really. I have no use for a wedding dress any time soon…and my day's going to be really busy. I think I should…"

Alice makes me fall silent with one well leveled glare. I sit down in the corner again like a bad child and wait my turn to be tortured. These are some of the most agonizing few minutes of my life. I want to run far far away…and I think I'm going to when Alice opens the dressing room door. "Ok!" I say too cheerfully. "Let's go!"

Two leveling glares stop that idea. I feel like one of those characters in an Anime that has been defeated. Alice and the salesgirls would be the two looming monsters in the foreground of the picture, with the black background and the lines the look like there's sweat dripping from my scalp.

I look completely defeated and walk into the dressing room. I'm six years old again, being forced into a pink chiffon dress by my mother when I wanted to wear a suit. Alice looks at me and purses her lips. "Cheer up, Bella. You'll be pretty!"

Her words floor me. Yeah…pretty plain.

And she's grabbing for my shirt. Ok….

I pull off my clothes and I'm left standing in my underwear as Alice takes the dress from the saleswoman, who apparently trusts us enough to leave us in the room alone, and pulls it over my head.

"Bra!" She orders. I feel completely violated as I unsnap my bra and throw it on the pile of clothes in the corner before Alice zips me up, cutting off the circulation in my waist. This was made for Marilyn Monroe's curves. I am not Marilyn Monroe. I am Bella Swan and my waist is not twelve inches smaller than my chest. It's only ten, thank you very much!

I wish I'd checked to see that the lace laced up. As she's lacing up the corset more, I feel completely and utter ill. "Can't, breathe," I say at one point when I feel like Alice pulls a little too tight. The dress is pushed into my ribs before she loosens it…just slightly.

"That's the point," I swear I hear her mutter, as she continues to argue with the laces. I hear her intake a sharp breath after she finishes. "Ok, you've gotta look! You've gotta see this!" She says in excited enthusiasm.

This cannot be good.

As I look in the mirror, I realize I was right. This is not good. I also begin to wonder who invented corsets.

"Alice!" I say in shock and exasperation . "How did you zip this up?" The amount of cleavage showing just does not scream wedding. It screams more "seduce me now".

No, forget that. It's screeching an octave higher "ravish me now, on this floor and I don't care who watches."

My chest is hiked up to my neck. Ok, slight exaggeration, but I think my chest is two sizes bigger than it's supposed to be. Alice, however, is giddy about the dress. She's clapping her hands together and acting like a twelve year old playing dress-up.

"You look so beautiful!" Alice says. Yes, I do, I have to admit. I barely recognize the body I see in the mirror. It looks like it came off of a bridal model. But I can't stand it at the same time. This isn't me. This is an overly made-up doll in ten pounds of beads.

I sigh. "Yeah…I guess." I bow my head and shut my eyes, trying to take a deep breath before I realize that I can't.

And before I know what's going on, I hear a camera snap.

My eyes fly open. "Alice!" I say, seeing her type a number in the cell phone. "What are you doing?"

Alice smiles. "Oh, come on! I'm just saving the picture."

I glare. "No, you're not," I say, already unlacing the back of the dress. There is way too much skirt in here for both of us.

Just then, her phone rings. She answers. "Hey, Edward!" My eyes are the size of dinner plates. I lunge for the phone. Alice dodges. "I know! Doesn't it look gorgeous?" She asks, hitting the speaker phone.

I make a motion like I'm going to slit her throat. I can't be too loud, now Edward can definitely hear me. "She looks absolutely beautiful," he comments. I lunge for the phone again, almost hitting the wall this time.

"She's absolutely ravishing! Of course, I bet that dress wouldn't stay on her long after the wedding, huh?" Alice says, suggestively.

I trip over my dress. I'm going to knock the dressing room over. Edward makes a noise as though he's in thought on the other end of the phone. "As a matter of fact, why don't you have them alter it for her. We'll be needing that soon for our wedding."

I feel like I'm going to die of mortification. "Don't you have surgery to be doing!" I yell.

He laughs. "I'm on break right now," he says. "Does it offend you, Bella, that I think of you that way?"

I blush, Alice giggles. "What?" I ask.

"Oh, Edward, she's embarrassed now!"

I grab for the phone. Alice still isn't letting me get it. When Edward speaks next, I can tell he is smiling. "Why don't you put her on the phone and I will tell her exactly what I want to do to her once I get that dress off of her?"

Anger burns in my veins. "Oh, you pervert!" I say, unlacing the dress myself. "I can't believe that I let you stay in my house!" I rave. I can't believe this. I've been betrayed by my best friend. It's like she wants me to hate her brother. The only time I've ever felt attracted to him, I had just hit my head. And then he pretty much took back the kiss!

And, yes, I am angry about this!

I'm stepping out of the damn dress and putting it back on the paper when I hear Edward again. "Is she really that angry with me, Alice?" he asks. I forgot he was on the phone. That's probably bad.

Alice glances from me putting on my bra, back to the phone. "Well, right now, she's in her underwear. How's that mental image?"

Edward pauses. "No different than the one I walked in on this morning," he says, very mundanely. He sounds very frustrated with this knowledge.

I glare at Alice. "I hate you," I say, venom in my words as I pull on my clothes again.

I hear Edward sigh. "Alice," Edward says, "make sure that you ask them how long they'll have that dress."

Alice salutes on this side of the phone, knowing he can't see her…I hope. "Aye, aye, captain. I'll let you know the results of my mission."

"I've got to go back to work," he says, though he sounds reluctant. I gather up the dress and push my way out of the dressing room, handing it back to the saleswoman, more than ready to get out of the store…alive.

"Ok, I'll talk to you soon," Alice says, very chipper.

I try to ignore her and I walk toward the front of the store. Then my phone rings. As if my day couldn't get any better.

I look at the screen. I don't recognize the number. I frown, but answer it, anyhow, wondering if someone changed their number on me.

"Hello?" I ask, warily. I half expect Edward's voice to come out of the speaker.

"Bella?" I hear a voice on the line that's familiar to me.

"Billy Black?" I ask, completely shocked. It's been a while since I heard from Jacob's dad. "Is everything alright? Is Jacob ok?"

Billy is grave in his reply. "Yes, yes. Jacob's ok…but I have some news that you need to be sitting down for Bella."

Ok. This is not good. "Billy, what's going on?" I ask this, knowing I probably won't like the answer.

"You need to come out to Forks," he says, not telling me why.

"Billy," I say curtly. "What happened?" I quickly go through all of the people in Forks. The only one I can think of that would be important enough for Billy Black to be calling me after would be Charlie. I feel a chill go through my body. "Billy, what happened to Charlie?"

Billy doesn't seem to want to answer immediately. But, he does. "Bella, your dad had a heart attack."

The phone falls out of my hands. Alice comes walking up behind me and I'm only vaguely aware of it. She's smiling, and I can't quite figure out why. "Bella, honey? Why are you looking at me like that?" Then she notices the cell phone.

"Hello?" she answers, picking it up. She goes as white as I am. "Yes, yes, Billy. I understand…We'll be there as soon as we can…uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. We'll meet you at the hospital. I'll call you when we get closer…I don't think Bella can talk right now," she says. No, I can't talk right now. I don't even know why I can't move.

I also don't know how I maintain my sarcastic wit.

Alice slaps me before putting my phone back in my purse. She looks at me sternly. "Get a grip on yourself," she says. "Snap out of it. First things first, we both need to go pack up some clothes, ok?"

As much as that hurt, Alice was right. It brought me back around. I think I can function. I nod. "Ok…" I say. "I've got to…get Angela to cancel all of my appointments…" I say, thinking about all of the things that I really need to do. "I need to call Edward…" I say.

Alice shakes her head. "I'll call him," she says, pulling me out to the car. I note that she doesn't call his cell phone. She calls that hospital as she sits me in her car, making sure that I'm buckled in correctly, as if I'm a child again. "Hello, this is Alice Cullen. I'm calling with a message for Dr. Cullen. When he's not too busy, could you tell him that there's been an emergency. Tell him that one of our friend's fathers had a heart attack. He'll know who I'm talking about." She pauses and lets the receptionist talk. "Thank you," she says, sincerely.

We drive to her house first, and she barely pays any attention to what she's throwing in a duffle bag. The only thing she makes sure she has is her toothbrush, a washrag, and underclothes. "I've got clothes at my parent's place," she says by way of explanation.

Walking into my apartment, I go immediately for my suitcase. Alice kind of lounges in my kitchen and living room while I throw stuff in my suitcase half-heartedly. Then the door to my apartment opens.

"Bella?" I hear from the living room. Edward is here. He sounds winded, like he ran up all of the stairs.

"Bedroom," I hear Alice tell him.

"Bella," I hear him say from the doorway. I try to keep my cool, but, hearing his voice makes my eyes begin to tear up. I sniff, putting clothes in my suitcase. Edward gently touches my shoulder. I turn toward him, determined not to cry. He smiles at me. "Hey," he says. I break down then. I begin to sob like a newborn.

And the worst part is that he simply wraps his arms around me and holds me to his chest as I clutch onto him. He strokes my hair and doesn't comment. "Alice," he says, softly. I hear Alice walk in. I can't see her through my tears…and Edward's mascara stained shirt.

"I got it," she says. I hear her going through my drawers and my closet. All the while, I keep sobbing.

"_Ma belle_," he says softly. "Come on, we need to get you out of here. Alice, we're taking my car." Alice doesn't question it. I'm still questioning why I'm a nearly thirty year old woman, clutching onto Edward's chest, as if it will ground me anymore.

As a matter of fact, I sob until I'm exhausted and fall asleep across Edward's lap on the four hour drive back home.

No one thinks to wake me up until we get there.

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**Ok, so it was longer, right? Sorry I forgot the cookies last time...I was reminded...**


	14. Day Twelve: Fourth Step: Friendship

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would not be struggling to make my college tuition that my 'full scholarship' apparently doesn't cover.**

**I'm BACK! And have two updates for you! I will update today with a chapter that probably sucks...but...I promise the next one is better...but I only update if you review! ;) I have to know that most of you have read it before I can give you all your next present!**

**And I sound like a five year old because I am running on six hours of sleep. **

**For the entire week.**

**So...enjoy!  
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Day Twelve: Fourth Step: Friendship

I fell asleep in a chair last night, sitting next to Charlie's hospital bed. After four hours of driving and meeting Billy in the ER to find Charlie in the OR, I'm just ready to lie down.

I can't take this being strong thing. I'm bad at it. The only person that actually sees when I'm falling apart is Edward, who is ever dutiful. He makes sure to translate everything the doctors are saying to me into plain, spoken English that I can understand everything that is being said. And he doesn't withhold information from me. Everything about Charlie is being told to me.

And, when I'm falling apart, he wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side gently.

Sadly, Billy Black doesn't seem to like him too well. It's humorous to see a man in a wheelchair glaring at Edward who doesn't seem to notice. I respect Billy to the point that I don't even bother to comment on it. I'm not sure what his problem with Edward is, but he can take a hike if he doesn't like him being here. Edward is only trying to help and his help is greatly appreciated.

Getting rid of everyone was not an easily accomplished task. It's 11:30, about an hour after they've actually released Charlie to a regular room and no one wants to leave. Billy insists on staying the night to watch over me. I tell him that he's done too much. Alice claims that there is no way that she is leaving me alone…until Edward tells her that it's ok.

Unfortunately, he doesn't budge as easily. He does, however, agree to leave me much easier than the rest of the group….after having another doctor examine me to make sure that I was no longer showing symptoms of shock. You see, I wouldn't have minded if he weren't being such an idiot about it. He's too overprotective and domineering.

Not that I don't appreciate his concern, but, honestly…I am frustrated.

I convince him to leave right as I am settling down with a book. Unfortunately, I fall asleep shortly there after.

I wake up at six o'clock in a chair, my head on my dad's bed. I hate that he looks so helpless. I look up at the door to find Edward at the door. He looks unbelievably sexy in a leather jacket, tight grey sweater, and his worn jeans that are hanging on his hips perfectly. This thought alone convinces me that sleeping in a chair is not a smart idea. In one of his hands is my suitcase. The sexiest thing about him, however, is that, in the other hand is a drink holder complete with two cups of coffee. I would jump him in a heartbeat to steal his coffee.

"Good morning, beautiful," he says, smiling. Had he been anyone else, I probably would have hit him. Gladly, we have a great working relationship. He offers up the suitcase to me. "I brought you some clothes…and a hair brush," he said, smiling.

I glare at him. I'm not in the mood for this. "Thanks," I say, standing up, careful not to disturb Charlie. I know that his doctor said that he wouldn't wake up for a while, but, it couldn't hurt to let him rest. I move to take the suitcase from him.

Edward's eyes remain on Charlie. "Did he wake up yet?" he asked.

I shake my head. "No," I say, though my voice sounds extremely dejected. "They said he might not wake up until later this afternoon," I say. Charlie looks terrible. His skin is pale. His dark hair is matted against his forehead. I move back toward his bed to move the hair off his forehead before I study his IV. I hope that it is not tangled.

Edward comes up behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Bella, go change clothes. Get cleaned up. I'll stay here with him, ok?" I look up at him to see him smiling at me.

"You don't have to do that," I say.

Edward shrugs, setting down the coffee onto the table next to Charlie's bedside. "Go. He won't wake up before you get back." His smile is contagious. "I'll wait with the coffee," he says.

I shake my head. "Thank you," I say, not wanting to leave. "I…" I sigh. "I'll go get dressed."

Edward seems understanding. I guess he can understand why I'm flustered. Still, as I shut the door, I regret it. I pull off my clothes, give myself a spongy bath, brush out my hair, throw it up into a ponytail, and I'm out in less than ten minutes. When Edward catches sight of me, I think he's going to die. His face goes red from laughter.

"What?" I glare.

He shakes his head. "Bella, my dear, what are we going to do with you?" He comes closer to me and circles me. I feel violated. He laughs lightly. "You are a wreck. Ok…" he says, crossing his arms. "Let me put your mind at ease. I spoke to the doctor. He can go home in a couple of days. It will be a little bit of a late birthday present for you," he smiles. "Now…do you want to know why I think you're a wreck?"

I glare. "Do you want to live to see tomorrow?"

Edward holds up his hands in defense. "Alright, then," he says, moving back to the side of the bed. He picks up a cup and hands it to me. "Here's one shot of caffeine."

I take it delicately. "Thank you," I say, genuinely thankful, as I plop down in one of the chairs next to the bed. When I take a drink, I'm shocked. "This is black," I say. I stare at it for a second before drinking some more.

Edward sits down next to me. "When you're tired, you drink black coffee. Otherwise, you drink raspberry iced tea," he says.

I'm touched. I don't think anyone else has ever noticed that before. I feel tears in the corner of my eyes. I thought I had cried all that I could cry. Apparently not. I sniff. "I'm sorry," I say, turning away and swiping at my eyes. "It must be my lack of sleep," I say.

I feel the coffee being lifted out of my hands. Then Edward's arms are wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest. He rubs circles on my back as he holds me. He doesn't need to do anything else. He pulls my hair down out of the hair tie I had it in. "It's alright to be weak sometimes," he says. He lets me go and sweeps my hair back effortlessly into a ponytail. "I will never think less of you because your world is falling apart."

I look at him, moving away my tears with the back of my hand. "I don't believe that," I tell him, smiling. "I've never seen you cry." I say it, hoping that the challenge to his masculinity will prove to be humorous.

Instead, his answer is somber. "That's because my world is not falling apart. You feel like your world has been completely turned upside down. If I were in your situation, I would be a complete train wreck," he admits, wiping away some more tears from my cheeks. "I couldn't cry in front of you, though, if I were in your situation."

I feel a bit hurt by this. "Why's that?"

He smiles. "Because I can't stand to see you so upset. I hate it when you cry. I also know that there is absolutely nothing that I can do to make any of this hurt less," he says.

I stare at him for a second. It takes me longer than it should to process the information. "Edward…" I try to say something that tells him it is awkward, that he really needs to stop flirting with me.

Unfortunately, I don't get the chance to finish. Jacob Black knocks on the door. "Dear God, is everyone going to come in before visiting hours?" Edward mutters. I try not to giggle. Jacob Black seeing me sprawled across Edward's lap is the last thing I need him to see this morning.

"Hey, Bells," he says, trying to ignore Edward entirely. Jacob's brows furrow. "Did you know your shirt's inside out?"

I look down at myself. I then look at Edward. "You didn't think it was important for me to know that my shirt was hanging off and inside out?"

Edward smirks and shrugs. "You said I wouldn't live. Honestly, I would prefer to keep my life."

I sigh. "Anyhow…" I play with the hem of my shirt. "Jake, what are you doing here?"

Jake looks between Edward and I. "I was hoping to take you out to breakfast…"

"I'm not leaving Charlie," I say automatically, knowing two things. The first is that I am going to be the first person my father sees when he wakes up. The second is that a breakfast date is the last thing I need. Unless it's with Edward.

But Edward is different.

Jake nods. "I understand that. That's why I brought breakfast with me." He glares at Edward who is picking up his coffee. "But I only brought enough food for two."

Edward holds his hands up in a gesture to say he gives up. "That's alright. I can come back later. I'm staying with my parents, so it's not that long of a drive. I just thought I would bring Bella something clean to change into." Jacob might like that idea, but I feel my eyes widen. Edward sees my eyes widen, sees the expression of horror on my face.

Edward? Leave? No way. The man is my rock right now.

Edward looks at Jacob before he takes my hand. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Could you?" I hope that Jacob can't see that my face lights up.

Edward nods, and glances at Jacob. "If your friend doesn't mind."

"I'm only sorry that I don't have food enough for you," Jake says. The apology is fake. I know it.

I glare. "He can share mine," I say. I hold onto Edward's hand, tightly. He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, before he drops it.

My rock is gone. And so is my resolve. Jacob is going to have me go through the roof with his incessant puppy dog antics today.

Edward looks at his coffee. "How about I make another run and get you some coffee, Jacob?" I see the makings of war between the two of them. Edward is playing nice to both of our faces. He's not exactly enjoying Jacob being here anymore than Jacob is enjoying him being here.

I ignore Edward leaving and sigh, sitting back down next to Jacob. I can already tell my day will be a boring Hell.

"Are you two…together?" Jacob asks of Edward.

This question shocks me. The two of us a couple? That's laughable. We don't belong together. I shake my head and laugh. "No. Absolutely not. What on earth could give you that idea?" Inwardly, I sigh, knowing that I wish the two of us were together and knowing what Jacob is hinting at.

"It's the way he looks at you," Jacob says. His face doesn't look pleased as he sits down. "I don't like it," he says. "He can't take his eyes off you."

I smile at the thought. That's because Edward is horribly attentive. For his friends, he is the protector. Maybe it came from having a sister who was so much younger than he was. "It's not like that, Jacob. I promise," I say, smiling at my father. He and Edward would get along perfectly fine.

"I know this isn't an appropriate time to ask, but if you two aren't together, then there is no harm," he says. "Would you marry me? Someday? When I actually had the ring to propose."

The question is so childish, it makes me want to smack him. I glare at him. "We are not discussing this now. Not while I sit in my father's hospital room with him sleeping next to me."

Jacob nods. "But, if I were to ask you, would you reject me?"

I open my mouth to respond. I have to have some of my sarcastic wit left. Where did it go? But, truth be told, there is no way I can respond to that. I look at him. Sitting there in his black windbreaker and worn jean, his beautiful, long black hair tied back…he's not unattractive. But, even though he's only two years younger than me, he has a lot of growing up to do. My mother always told me I played too safe. Jacob didn't. Jacob was willing to take risks. I wasn't that kind of person. I was old before my time.

The only person who could convince me to do something out of the ordinary was Edward. Edward had turned my life upside down in less than two weeks. I believe that has to be a record. He got me outside my comfort zone. He changed the steri-strips on the already diminishing head wound I'd given myself walking into a pole. He held me when I cried, he cooks me breakfast, and he worried about me…incessantly. There was nothing he wouldn't do for me.

Hell, the man could burn my mattress, hit me in the head with a door, take me out to breakfast…

Of any other man, these things I would not dream of. I wouldn't ask and I definitely wouldn't accept. But, there was something about him. I'm smiling like an idiot as I think about it.

Damn it. I'm not too stupid to know what that means.

I sigh, getting up. "I'm going to go put my shirt on the right way," I say, heading to the bathroom door. I will avoid Jacob's question as long as I can. As I lock the door, I'm thankful for the privacy. I look in the mirror. There's something wrong with me. I run my hands through the perfect ponytail Edward conjured for me. Most people go to a relationship therapist for a problem like this. I am one and I can't explain it. I think I've fallen in love with a man who infuriates me. I shake my head and take off my shirt. That's impossible. You can't fall in love with someone that fast, can you?

In my belief, you cannot. It's not possible. There are only three steps of love and I'm pretty sure that Edward is beginning to change my mind about them because there has been no compromise or commitment in this non-existent relationship.

I sigh and walk back into the room after my shirt is righted. I don't have time to deal with this right now.

When I walk in, what I see surprises me. Charlie's eyes are open. "Daddy?" I rush across the room and embrace him. "Dad, I was so worried!"

Charlie hasn't lost any of his wit. "Relax, Bells. I just woke up," he says. I laugh. I completely ignore Jacob and I even ignore Edward as he walks back into the room.

The worrying is over. "You didn't wake up last night and I was so worried…"

Charlie kisses my forehead. "Sit down. I smell food. Where's my breakfast?"

I laugh. "You have to order it."

He nods. It's only 7:30, but that's alright. This is all I was waiting for today. Edward hands Jacob his coffee. He smiles at me. "I told you you had nothing to worry about," he says, squeezing my shoulder, reassuringly.

I smile up at him. "You never disappointment," I laugh. "Sometimes, I wonder what connections you have upstairs that get you that much credit here on earth."

"A medical degree," he says.

I glance at Charlie who is in protective father mode. "Charlie, this is Edward Cullen. He's Alice's brother and a wonderful friend of mine," I say. "Edward, this is my father, Chief Charlie Swan. And, yes, that is how he introduces himself to everyone he meets."

Edward nods. "It's nice to see that you're awake, Mr. Swan," he smiles. "I would shake your hand, but your daughter might very well bite my hand off as she is more overprotective of you than my own mother is of me."

Charlie smiles. "Well, any friend of Bella's is a friend of mine. And, believe me. While she lived with me, I rarely got to eat anything that wasn't cooked by her own hands. And a lot of it consisted of lettuce."

I shake my head. "You're all terrible to me," I say. "Can I get you anything, Dad? I can call the nurse. Are you feeling ok?"

My dad glares at me. "I just got my chest ripped open. I feel like I got my chest ripped open. I think I'm doing pretty well in this case," he says. "Stop worrying about me, Bella."

I glance at Edward. "That's the morphine talking," he says. I nod. "I have good news for you, though. You will be out of this hospital in the next couple of days if everything goes as the doctor's plan," Edward says, smiling.

Charlie nods. "Thank God. Especially if it will make this one fuss over me any less," he says jokingly. Suddenly, Charlie looks at my forehead. "What the hell happened to your head, Bells?"

Jacob starts to answer, feeling left out, but I can't let this opportunity slide. "Well, first, I ran into a pole and it decided to shank me. Then this idiot," I say, pointing to Edward, "opened a door into my head…which was my fault really because I'm not sure why I was on the floor in front of the door."

Charlie looks at it. "Do you need those replaced?"

Edward nods. "Actually, she does. I can take her to see one of the physicians right now and work that out for all of our sanity," Edward smiles. I shake my head.

Jacob tries to help. "I'll stay with Charlie; you really need your head looked at."

I can't help but think there is a double entendre there…

I nod. "Ok…"

Edward practically drags me into the hall toward the nurses' station. One of the nurses immediately rushes to him. I guess this is the one good thing about having Edward with me: instant service. "Hello," he says, charmingly to her. "Can you please tell me where Dr. Cullen is working today? I believe that she needs the steri-strips on her forehead replaced so that the wound doesn't get infected."

The nurse is dumbstruck by him. I'm not sure she understands his request, even. She somehow manages to do what he asks…as a voice behind us calls to us. "Edward? What are you doing here this early?" The nurse hangs up the phone and walks away, as if shamed.

I turn around and I'm pretty sure I'm gaping. "Carlisle?" I smile.

Dr. Cullen, Carlisle, explains perfectly why women flock to Edward. Dr. Cullen is barely sixty and his blonde hair has just barely started to grey. He is at peak physical fitness and he's one of the best doctors in the country. He could go anywhere in the country and he would have a job. But, he stays here as opposed to uprooting his family.

"Bella, my dear," he's surprised. I don't think he expected to see me with Edward. It doesn't matter; he still hugs me. His face is somber when he lets me go. "I was very sorry to hear about your father," he says. "If there is anything I can do…"

I smile. "It's alright, Carlisle," I says, looking at Edward. "Your family has already done too much for me."

He looks at Edward next and smiles. "What can I do for you two?"

Edward nods toward me. "She needs to have her wound's dressings changed. I'd do it myself, but I don't have access to anything in this hospital."

Carlisle nods. "Alright then. Why don't you two follow me and I can bandage you up quickly," he says, smiling at me. "I knew it was only a matter of time before my accident prone patient would return to me."

Safely ensconced in a room, Carlisle goes to the cabinet and pulls out alcohol and a piece of gauze before he examines my head. Carefully, he removes the steri-strips from the cut and cleans it. Edward hovers, awkwardly. I wonder if his doctor instincts want to take over.

"Well, it's pretty well scabbed over. I don't think you need to wear these anymore," he says. "We can put a piece of gauze over it if you don't want to look at it, though," he remarks.

I shrug. "I'm pretty used to seeing myself injured," I joke.

Edward opens his mouth. Carlisle looks at him sternly. "Stop coddling her. The girl knows enough to diagnose herself she's in here so much." Carlisle and I laugh at the shared joke. Carlisle then turns back to me. "Well, then, Ms. Bella. Five minutes and you're in and out. Easiest medical visit you've ever had?"

I nod. "Yes," I say laughing. "Now back to see my dad," I smile. I get up and head for the door. "Edward, are you coming?"

Edward starts to follow me out. "Edward," Carlisle says. "Can I have a word with you quickly?"

Edward nods. "I'll see you in a few minutes," he says, smiling as I leave. I don't like this, but I leave anyhow.

My day can't get worse. My day has been made by Charlie's waking up. I don't care what they're discussing.

Short of my own demise, I'm celebrating my early birthday with my dad in his room…and the unwanted addition of Jacob Black.

Someday, I will shove off his unwanted advances…but not today.

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**Cyber cookies and quotes to the reviewers? Ha ha. I'll remember the cookies and I will eventually post pictures of Alice and Bella's wedding dresses!**


	15. Day Thirteen: Happy Birthday To Me

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the names...nor do I own Twilight.**

**SOO...Here is your second update for the weekend. We MAY or may not have another update. (And, yes, I surprise even myself.)**

**So...as I am spending the weekend celebrating her birthday, I am dedicating this chapter to Sarah who does not read this fanfic, but, if I do not dedicate this chapter to her, I feel terrible. ^-^**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. This is rated M...well, as far FF .net is concerned. ^-^**

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Day Thirteen: Happy Birthday to Me…

"Bella, I am soooo sorry!" Alice says for the millionth time as I slip on Edward's leather jacket. Only Alice could forget a birthday cake that she was the only one who knew existed. It seems that this day just goes from bad to worse. First the doctors tell me that Charlie can't be discharged until tomorrow at the earliest. Next, Jacob shows up and tries to convince me to go out to breakfast with him. One, I'm not leaving my dad. Two, the only person I have any intention of going on breakfast dates with in the near future is Edward. Last, but not least, I find out through accidental text message that Alice, Edward, and Esme have planned to throw me a birthday party at the hospital so that my Dad could be there. Worst part: Charlie was in on it. As were Jacob and Billy Black…both of whom were miffed that they didn't come up with the idea first.

Alice showing up at six p.m. to inform me that she forgot the cake at her parents' house and that, to keep on her very precarious schedule, she can't go back and get it, makes my day.

Not.

She then charges me with going back and getting the cake. My own birthday cake. That was supposed to be a surprise. And her reasoning: "At least you won't see the rest of your surprise party this way!"

Worst part is that it's raining and Alice didn't think to pack me a jacket…and she's too tiny for me to squeeze into her clothes. So I'm stuck with Edward's leather jacket.

I sigh. "Alice, it's fine. Edward and I will go back to the house and get it since I can't see what you're setting up here for me." I'm kind of frustrated that I'm being forced to leave the hospital. I would much rather stay with Charlie, delusional as he is.

Not that I don't trust Alice, but I'm not entirely convinced that the fairy's party planning skills won't give him another heart attack.

Alice looks at me with wide, thankful eyes. "Thank you, Bella!" she says. I am almost afraid that she's going to hug me and knock me down. But she doesn't. She takes her bag of party supplies and leaves me outside of my dad's room. I hear a distinctive 'click', as if she locked the door. I feel my shoulders tighten. That cheeky little witch.

Edward touches my shoulder. "Ready to go?" I am kind of surprised by his clothes. He looks horribly laid back. He is wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. And they're not even model out of cover spread quality. I mean, he looks like a normal human being.

Except, better, because God forbid that he not show us mere mortals up daily.

"Yeah," I say, pulling his jacket more tightly around my white t-shirt. I will never look as good as _that_. "Aren't you going to get wet?" He should be wearing the jacket that Alice stole from him.

He shakes his head. "It's just a little water," he says, smiling. "Plus, that jacket looks better on you," he says, cheekily.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, because the fact that it's down to my mid thigh means that it fits _perfectly_." He shakes his head at me.

It's pouring when we get into the parking lot. "You're kidding me!" I look at the monsoon downpour. "Maybe we should say 'screw the cake' and go back inside?" I ask hopefully.

Edward laughs and takes my hand, dragging me toward his car. "Just make sure you can keep up," he says, jokingly, pulling me behind him to his car. He pressed the remote to unlock the doors and I crawl into the passenger side and shut the door, shivering. It takes ten seconds to get completely soaked through in a white t-shirt. The jacket did no good. My hair is a mass of rat's tails. At least Edward look good when he's wet. His shirt clings to perfect, washboard abs. His hair looks even more beautiful now, wet. It's a shade darker, but it looks natural, effortless.

It's almost enough to make me loathe him, if only he weren't so sexy.

Edward glances over at me after he starts the car and buckles himself in. "You ok?" I nod, unable to do much else at the moment. He reaches for the heat, apparently not liking my non-responsive phase. He starts to back out before he comments, "You know, it was raining the first day you decided to undertake this bargain, too."

I try to keep my teeth from chattering. "Yeah," I say. "I guess good things happen when it rains, huh?"

He laughs. "For the two of us, apparently." He keeps driving, but doesn't try to force me into conversation. I'm appreciative as I am trying to warm myself using his vents. Suddenly, being soaking wet was not agreeing with me. He pretends not to notice. Unfortunately, that he keeps glancing in my direction not so discretely, so I know he catches me putting my fingers in front of the air output.

It takes fifteen minutes and I'm still soaked when we pull up to Alice's parents. I keep forgetting how breath-taking their home is. It's an old, antebellum style mansion in the middle of nowhere. The turn-off to the house is all but invisible and it takes forever to reach the white painted front of the house. Someday, I want to live somewhere like this.

But, for now, my apartment is infinitely less confusing. How Edward even begins to figure out how to turn into the garage is beyond me. I still can't figure out how to do anything other than turn into the circle in front of the house.

We both have a shocked look on our faces when the garage door opener doesn't work. His mother had literally just given it to him. He shakes his head before getting out of the car and opening it manually. I'm surprised that he doesn't ask me to pull the car into the garage and, instead, runs back and slides into the driver's seat before pulling into the garage. I try not question his logic and just hope the nicety lasts.

He shuts off the car engine before rushing over to my side to help me out of the car. His extended hand confuses me until I realize I'm supposed to take it. I can't even remember when the last time someone helped me out of a car was. It's a sweet gesture, I suppose.

I could turn it around on him and say that he is challenging my capability as a woman…but I'm not in the mood.

"I'm under the assumption the power is out," he says, as I pull his leather jacket around myself. "First order of business, we're going to go find you some new clothes," he says, looking over my soaked jeans and my hair. He shakes his head, but laughs. "If you could see yourself."

I look him up and down. He's as soaked as I am, I'm sure. I respond with, "It's like looking in a mirror." His smile is all I need to know that I have amused him. He opens the door comically. "Ladies first," he says with a mocking bow.

All I can think walking into his parents' darkened house is that he's lucky I'm in no mood to be caustic. Or, better yet, that I'm in no mood to hit him with a door.

I walk down the hall from the garage and realize that I have forgotten how big this house was. The kitchen to my right is enormous, the living room to my left dwarfs that. The staircase going to the upper level looks more like something from the Titanic than from a house. I sigh, standing in the foyer, smiling. This house is my second home from childhood. It will never be anything less.

I glance to the pedestal where the grand piano used to be. When I find it still there, I smile even more brightly and step up onto it. I don't think it could hurt to play it a little…could it?

I glance back to make sure Edward isn't watching me before I push open the lid of the ivory keys. It's just like I remember it. I place my fingers on them and begin to pick out a tune from childhood. I know it's a classical song, but can't remember the name. I know it's Debussy, but that's as close to knowing anything about the music I ever get. I only know that I enjoy it.

"Clair de Lune," I hear. My fingers slam down on the keys.

"I'm sorry!" I say, closing the lid of the piano and backing away from it. Edward doesn't look pleased by that response. He comes up onto the pedestal next to me and takes my hands. I have officially fallen asleep in the car and I am dreaming this entire thing.

"You don't need to apologize for touching the piano," he says, looking into my eyes. I feel myself blushing. I hate him touching me. Not because I am completely turned off by the idea. Quite the opposite. I am completely turned on by his touch and that bothers me. I try to avoid his eyes because, if anyone can read minds, it's Edward Cullen. He sighs. I know by now that that means that I've done something that he feels insults him. "It's mine," he says. "The piano. I'm the only one in the family who plays it. It needs someone else who uses it." I look back at the piano. "You're a fan of Debussy?"

I shake my head. "No. Not really. I just…I know the songs I like. I'd never remember their names," I say, laughing nervously.

He's still holding my hands.

It must suddenly occur to him, as well because he lets go. He runs a hand nervously through his wet hair. "Well…" he begins, looking around. "I believe our first order of business is to get both of us in some dry clothes…"

As he's about to go on, his phone rings. Lightning strikes outside the house, causing me to jump as he answers it. "Hello?" It's amazing how the smoothness of that word calms me. "What?" I hear him suddenly exclaim. Calmness over. I have no idea what is going on.

Oh, how I love one-sided conversations.

"No, no…we'll be fine to stay here. The power's out here, too…Are you sure the roads are all flooded? They were fine when we drove through them." I watch him nod. I glance at the clock. It's also almost seven o'clock. It's been raining for more than an hour. It is very possible that in the downpour, the roads were flooded. Got to love Washington State…especially Forks.

"Keep an eye on Bella's dad for us. If something happens, call one of us immediately and we will find a way to get to the hospital," he says. The conviction in his voice tells me that he will canoe to the hospital if he has to…and that is a very amusing mental picture in my head.

"Yes, I understand. Goodbye, Alice," he says before he his phone clicks shut.

I figure this is the appropriate time to ask questions. Namely, one: "What's going on?"

He sighs. "The roads are flooded so badly in some places that we can't get back to the hospital right now. I'm sorry, Bella," he says.

I raise my eyebrows. "What are you talking about? Sorry? You've seen an Alice party! It would be murder!" I say this a bit too enthusiastically, apparently, because he is trying not to laugh, both of us knowing it is in no way a joke. Unfortunately, he doesn't do a very good job at covering up his laughter. I punch his arm jokingly. "How dare you laugh at me for telling the truth!" I say, even though I am laughing with him.

He catches both of my arms before I can do any more "damage". "Come on," he says, still laughing. "You're going to get sick if you stay in those clothes much longer."

The fact that his voice sounds like it's laced with sexual innuendo convinces me further than I am going to wake up in the car.

"So, I'm stuck here with you all night?" I ask, suddenly realizing that he is halfway up the stairs without me.

He turns back and looks at me very seriously. "So, staying in your small apartment is different than staying in this house?"

I think about that. He has a point. "Well…yeah," I say, thought I can't come up with a logical explanation.

"And the difference is what? There are two guest rooms?"

The smug look on his face as I sulk up the stairs makes me want to push him down the stairs. I could probably get away with it, as dark as it is with the power out…

He leads me toward a different room, one I've never gone into before. He must see the confusion on my face, because he decides to explain. "This is my room. My parents have an open door policy. Any time their children want to come home, they're welcome," he says, smiling. "Unfortunately, not much of my room has changed since college."

In my head, I imagine posters for bands, a desk to work at, maybe a twin bed…I'm imagining typical. Edward isn't typical. I should have known. When he unveils a room with cream colored sheets draped from the ceiling that match the carpet, a mahogany king sized bed covered with a pristine white comforter, a matching desk with a laptop set on top of it, a stereo system most of us plebeians would kill for, and a keyboard, I'm shocked to say the least. I walk in, staring up at his ceiling. I put my purse on the chaise lounge at the foot of his bed and completely marvel at the room.

"It's for…"

"The acoustics," I say, smiling back at Edward. "This was done by an interior decorator, right?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "Actually, my mother has a knack for these things. But, I did pick out all of the furniture," he says, walking into another door. Deciding that I might as well make myself at home, I throw myself onto the chaise and wait for him. He comes back with a few candles and a towel. My hair is more or less dry. He really didn't need to bring me a towel. What I probably need is a hot bath.

I watch Edward's muscles work as he sets up the candles on his desk and on the bedside tables. He is delectable. I shake my head. This is not happening.

Screw the hot bath, I need a cold shower.

After he lights all of the candles he puts his lighter back in his pocket and brings the towel back to me, sitting on the chaise lounge. He kneels down in front of me and unfolds the towel before beginning to wrap my hair in it. I glare at him, trying to swat his hands away as he continues to towel dry my hair. "I can do it myself!" I protest as he rubs the ends of my hair with the towel.

He smiles as he folds the towel. "I know. I wanted to see your reaction," he says. It suddenly occurs to me just how close we are as he leans toward me on the chaise. For a moment, all is silent. My body, as if magnetically pulled, leans toward his. I stop myself before I can kiss him. I cannot kiss him. He kissed me once and has never once brought it up again. There is very little reason to kiss him now.

He stares at my lips. He takes in a deep breath, as if to steel himself before he decides to be the one to break the tangible silence. "If I kiss you now," he says, "would I be taking advantage of you?"

The question throws me off, as does my answer. "Possibly," I answer, not entirely sure where I even found the words. "But, that doesn't mean I don't want to kiss you." I say it and pray he doesn't back away.

I am not disappointed when his fingers cup my jaw and his lips claim mine. His lips are heaven. They are soft as they claim mine. They are not demanding, but they are meant to be pure pleasure as my lips move against his. I wrap my arms around his neck, urging him onward. He has to be more experienced in this area than I am. I don't care if I do try to improve people's sex lives and their romances.

His tongue demands entrance into my mouth. I feel his move upward, bracing his arms on either side of me on the chaise and he does so without ever breaking the kiss. For that matter, as I allow him entrance into my mouth, he deepens the kiss. As his tongue dances with mine, I moan. I have been waiting for him to kiss me. I may never have realized it before, but, now, I know.

He pushes his jacket off my shoulders. I simply move with him. I am incoherent. I'm drunk on his taste. I tug his shirt upward, needing to feel more of him. Something about this shocks him and he breaks the kiss. Our frantic breathing fills the air and I have to hold back a whimper, feeling as if he has been stolen from me. He turns away. "I'm sorry," he apologizes.

All the while, my sexual frustration is screaming, _Why are you apologizing, you idiot! Sleep with me!_

I open my mouth to say something, but he turns away. "We need to get out of these wet clothes," he says. Well, if I had my way, that's precisely what we would be doing right now…except you'd be removing my clothes and not me.

I sit, slightly aggravated as he peels his t-shirt from his body to reveal the reason I want him to go around my apartment wearing a shirt: his perfectly defined muscular body is horribly revealed. I sigh. This is not my night. I watch him as he walks to what I assume is the bathroom and feel my body go rigid.

What's wrong that he doesn't want me? He's not attracted to me the same way I'm attracted to him? He's still in love with Tanya? Not that I'd blame him either way, but don't make a move on me and then take it back every bloody time!

You know what, fine. If he'd not attracted to me, there is no reason to be modest at all. I'm stripping down to my underwear and I'm testing him. Damn it! I will have my answer.

So, as I peel the white t-shirt off my body, I hear Edward come back into the room, still shirtless. I guess topless is as far as I'm getting. I see him staring at me as I hold my damp shirt in my lap. I ignore him and slip off my shoes. "What are you doing?" His question seems pretty self explanatory.

"I'm taking off these clothes and waiting for you to bring me dry ones," I say, placing my damp socks out beside my shoes and kicking them under the chaise. "I thought that was pretty self-explanatory," I say.

Edward watches me. "Bella, why don't you go change in the bathroom?" His suggestion is almost insulting.

"Why? Because you can't stand to look at me?" I laugh.

"No," he says, very seriously. "But I'm not going to do anything to you that you might regret later," he answers.

I stand up, throwing my shirt on the chaise. "You think I'd regret what, exactly?"

"I think that you would regret ever being in my bed, Bella. That's what I think you'd regret."

I roll my eyes. "You know saying 'I don't want you' works just as well."

Edward lets out a sound that tells me he is clearly frustrated. "You think I don't want you?" He crosses the room to stand in front of me.

I am sadly not intimidated by him. "Clearly you don't want me!" I accuse.

He does something I don't expect. He grabs me by the waist, pulling me against him and tangles his hand in my hair as he kisses my mouth deeply, as if he is trying to memorize every detail of my mouth. As if he is forbidden to touch my body. I am only acutely aware of his erection pressed against my stomach. There is no question that he wants me. He pulls away. "I don't want you? It would be impossible for me not to want you, _ma belle_," he says.

I feel my hands of their own accord reach for the button of his jeans. "Then make love to me," I say, even though my voice probably sounds pathetic.

He holds back making a sound as I unzip his jeans. "Bella, you're a seductress," he says, before claiming my lips again. I feel him reach around me to unsnap my bra. I don't protest. Suddenly the black silky material is completely restraining.

Never once breaking away from his plundering of my mouth, of his erotic raising of my senses, he backs me up. I feel my knees against the mattress before they give out and I fall onto the edge of the bed.

I hear Edward chuckle as I crawl back on the bed. He joins me, his hands stroking my neck before he forces me back onto the pillows. "You're beautiful," he whispers in my ear before he nips my ear lobe. I gasp as he does so. This seems to satisfy him as his mouth explores my body.

Down my neck his lips travel, his tongue licks my flesh, savoring the taste. Of my skin. He nips my collar bone, nosing the strap of my bra down my arm before finally taking it away from my body all together. Instinctively, I reach to cover myself. His hand catches my arm as it moves. "No," he commands. I try to relax, but that is short lived as he takes one breast into his mouth, tonguing me while his hand gives attention to my other breast. I bite my lip, trying not to cry out. Finally, a moan escapes me, shamelessly.

It seems like eternity before his torture stops and he moves on to my other breast. I arch into him this time and gasp. Had I been expecting this kind of pleasure, I would have never begged. This isn't pleasure. This is borderline torture.

His lips eventually travel down my body to my navel where his tongue swirls inside. I grasp the blankets around me and feel him smile against my body at every sound I make.

He crawls back up my body, slowly. I reach down to undo my jeans. He laughs. "Impatient?"

I glare. "You're a tease," I say.

He reaches between us to push my jeans away from my hips. "Oh?" he asks before he follows my jeans with my remaining underclothes. Purposely, he strokes his hand against the part of me that wants him the most. I buck against his hand, suddenly incoherent again.

Somehow, I do not find this fair. He, however, is enjoying himself. He slides a finger into me. My intake of breath is enough to tell him that I need him and soon. He begins to slide his finger in and out slowly before he adds another finger. This only increases my pleasure. I feel as if I'm going to break as he increases the tempo of his strokes. As I am about to orgasm, he slows his pace and takes me in his mouth. I think I'm going to die of pleasure when I finally break and cry out his name.

As I wait out the orgasm, I watch him as he tastes me again on his fingers. I can't hear anything over my heavy breathing and my heart pounding. He kisses my jaw line and begins to torture me anew. I shake my head. "No…" I say, sliding his jeans off his hips with me feet. He smiles and kicks them off.

"What do you want next, Bella?" he asks me, seductively.

I glare. "You," I say, huskily as I reach between us to remove his boxers. He is distracted by this long enough that I can push him with my knee and make him roll over so that I am on top of him. I remove his boxers, carefully before I kiss him. I try to position myself over him, but he knows my ruse.

He rolls me back over. "You are impatient," he says, softly, smiling. I feel him at my entrance. I know he will give me what I want. He captures my lips before he thrusts into me deeply. I moan into his mouth. He feels perfect inside me. My hips move with his as his pace increases. I cry out again as I reach my release before him and I feel him release himself inside me. I watch him hold himself over me before he rolls off of me to my side.

"Do you still believe I don't want you?" He asks, stroking my cheek, gently.

"No," I say. "I'm sorry…"

"Shh…" he says, placing a finger against my lips. He pulls up the blanket around us and wraps me in his arms, resting his chin against the top of my head. "I love you," he says.

I'm convinced I heard wrong. "I love you," I whisper back, curled up against him, ready for impact of rejection.

Instead, he kisses me chastely. "Then marry me," he says, gently.

"I can't," I say back. "I'm not good enough for you."

He strokes my hair down my back. "You're the only woman I want, though," he responds.

He sings me to sleep that night. Edward Cullen is the first man who I've ever let stay in bed with me. He's the only man that I've ever wanted to stay with me. I fall asleep to the sound of his voice and it is the best night I have ever had.

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	16. Day Fourteen: Futons

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Day Fourteen: Futons

"I should just quit my job, Alice. I am just going to quit my job, never go back, and stay here for the rest of my life!" I rant into my cell phone, sitting on the futon in my dad's basement. There is nothing that cheers the female species up faster than chocolate, her pajamas and a sadly cliché romantic comedy…which is currently on pause after Alice's frantic phone call.

Somehow, "So…what happened at the hospital today?" turned into female group therapy.

As I pop another cheap chocolate into my mouth, Alice sighs. "You are not a failure, Bella."

"Don't try to make me feel better," I say through a mouthful of chocolate. "I want to go to a place far, far away and get away from all of this for a little while."

"Oh, Bella! Don't be so dramatic! You love what you do and, thus far, your biggest failure has been…well, Edward."

A part of me, a very small part, wants to cry at the sheer mention of his name. I, for one, have had a very long day. The rest of me tenses and shoves more chocolate into my mouth. I'm pretty sure that my gaze is murderous. "I quit," I say.

Alice sighs, again. "Bella, this is completely pointless. You are doing an exceptional job with Edward. Plus, if you marry him, you won't have to worry about money for a while…"

"ALICE!"

"What? I'm a hopeless romantic! I admit it!"

"Alice, this is real life," I say, as deadpan serious as possible.

Alice pauses for a moment, as if to consider this fact. "Well, still…you could solve all of these problems by just marrying Edward." The smile I hear in her voice is horrifying to me. It could just be the fact that I want to forget everything that happened today.

"Alice, he's not interested. I'm not interested. When will you realize that neither of us are interested?" I throw myself back on the futon and sigh.

Alice doesn't speak for a second. "Yeah…I heard about that…" After a long moment of silence, Alice asks, "Did you really tell him he should have ravished you?"

"Al…" I froze. "Wait, how did you know about that?" More silence follows. "Who did you tell?"

"Well…Esme was on the phone when Edward came in and told me….so…I told Rosalie, because I was utterly confused…Was that a bad thing?"

"Keep going," I say, clenching my teeth.

"Well…She told Emmett, who told Jasper…and Carlisle already knew, but Esme called him anyway to talk about what a pathetic excuse for a man their son was…so that one was not my fault!"

"Did you tell Charlie?" I panic. If he knew that half of that had come out of my mouth…

"No! The man just had a heart attack, Bella! In my less than professional opinion, the knowledge of your little outburst could kill him!"

As soon as that is out of the way, I allow myself to be fueled by anger. "How long ago did you find out about this?" I clench my teeth even harder.

"…about five minutes ago," she says.

"Edward's still there, isn't he?" I ask, hissing.

After a long silence, I hear a new voice. "Yes, Bella. I'm still here."

"You Bitch! You had me on speaker phone!" I scream, hanging up the phone.

My life truly is a pathetic state of existence. I seem to always end my days with some sort of drama. Well, I didn't used to. Then I took on Edward. Now, my life has gone to Hell in a handbasket…wrapped with a pretty pink bow.

I wake up and stare at the ceiling, extremely sore after sleeping on…a futon.

Yes, that's right. I slept on a futon last night in the den of the Cullen's house. Not in bed with Edward or any other gorgeous men, but alone, with only a couple of blankets spread over me neatly and pillows piled up exactly like my room in my apartment. Not only that, but I am dressed in a pair of green flannel pajamas that are about five sizes too large for me.

There is an extremely irrational part of me that is kind of angry. What the hell? He had to strip me to put me in these pajamas! Why didn't he just ravish me!

And then I realize how irrational I am. This is the sexually frustrated piece of my brain speaking. Living in such close proximity to Edward is cruel to my senses. I've got to get out of this before long.

Sixteen days. That's all that I have to put up with this. Sixteen days.

Determined to lay there for a little while longer, seething in my anger, I realize why I am awake.

I smell bacon. The combination of the sunlight from under the carefully drawn curtains and the smell of bacon from the kitchen draw me awake. I groan as I glance at my watch. Nine a.m. Long past time for me to be awake.

I push the blanket away, but still lay there. Why? Why, oh, why do I have to be the one with an unwanted house guest who cooks, cleans and won't try to seduce me?

The last person I want to see this morning is Edward. I need distance from Edward. I need to go on a vacation. I've thought that quite frequently while living with Edward, haven't I?

I roll from the futon, sighing as I walk into the kitchen. Well, I can honestly say that I give Edward credit. He's probably the only man other than Jacob who has seen me at my worst and doesn't run like hell is on his heels. Honestly, I think I'm going to be slightly disappointed if I walk into that kitchen and he is anything more than half-naked making me bacon and eggs. If I can't have him, at least I can have the eye candy, right?

I am a horribly sick woman. I should kick him out of my apartment.

As I walk into the kitchen, hair streaming in my face, probably matted, tangled and definitely slightly wet, Edward's giant pajamas falling off my shoulder, I feel envious just by crossing the threshold. There seems to be a pattern here. He gets to look like a god when he wakes up in the morning. I get to look like a Greek Fury. He can look like walking porn standing there with his rippling muscles that I could definitely do my laundry on. I have to look like…well, like a thirty year old woman who didn't want to get out of bed this morning.

It's odd to see him in any kitchen but my own. This kitchen is so much different than mine. They're like night and day. This kitchen is state of the art. It is sterile, clean and organized. Mine was never like this. It was never so blindly white that it hurt your eyes. It didn't look like everything was in a specific order which no one could touch. Racks hung from the ceiling with pots and pans, herbs had a specific shelf, a flower arrangement was placed on an island in the center of the room…this was a palace. My kitchen was just…a kitchen. This kitchen belonged in a five star restaurant.

And if ever there was a celebrity chef, it was Edward, standing over the stove, his copper hair shining in the morning light flitting through the window.

I try to be miffed by his beauty. I find myself failing miserably.

I smooth down my hair just before he sees me. His smile breaks my resolve to never fantasize about him again. I want to sigh like a crazed fangirl. I hold back as he says, "Good morning, my beautiful Bella." I watch him as he moves to take another skillet off of the hanging rack above him. "How are you on this fine day?"

What ever has him in such a good mood, I want some. Of course, he didn't wake up on a futon, horribly disappointed that the most beautiful man alive was not laying next to him. I shrug. "I've been better," I note as I slump down at the island without even thinking to ask if he would prefer me to sit somewhere else. Whenever Alice would invite me to her parents' house, our food life revolved around this island right here. Unfortunately, I did not remember the stools having no back. No, I didn't fall just then, but remember this detail later.

Edward looks concerned. "Were you uncomfortable? I'm sorry. I would have brought you to a guest room, but you seemed so tired, I wasn't sure that you would make it up the stairs."

I raise an eyebrow. "So, you carried me to the den instead?"

With a joking smirk, he responds, "You're not exactly light, Bella." Even though I know it is jokingly said, I want to kill him as I watch him put more bacon in the skillet. He must see my frown. His answering expression tells me that he regrets the words. "I was only joking, _ma belle_. I did not mean to offend you. I didn't want to disturb you last night. That was all."

I shrug, yawning. "I wouldn't have minded walking up a few stairs."

"This from the woman I can barely get out of bed in the morning?" The incredulous look on his face gets me to concede defeat. Instead of meeting his gaze, I trace the patterns on the white marble countertop. "You can go back to bed, Bella. You've had an interesting couple of days. You need to rest."

"I'll be fine," I say, not looking up from my current mode of entertainment.

Edward apparently decides not to argue with me. The room then returns to a companionable silence as I try not to steal glances at his body to see if my dream even did him justice. Not that I haven't seen him topless before, but I've never paid as close attention to him as I'm doing now. He seems fully absorbed in his cooking. I watch him as he moves the bacon to a separate plate and begins to move it onto a back burner, then watch how his muscles move as he walks across the room to get a dozen eggs and shredded cheese from the fridge. Before he can put them down, though, I suppose he decides the silence is unnerving.

"I take it you have sweet dreams last night?" Images of my dreams hit me like a semi.

With a resounding thud, I ended up on the floor. Thank you, backless stool. Your existence is remembered. I think I will buy Esme a new stool for her kitchen simply for when I come over and someone make such an absurd statement.

"Bella!" Edward is at my side, picking me up off the floor with the toppled stool. "Only you could not remember that your stool doesn't have a back. Are you alright?" He sits me on the same stool and begins to examine me. Doctor instincts really suck.

I shoo his hands away. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Just…clumsy."

Edward sighs and shakes his head. He places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Why don't you go back to bed? Go sleep in my bedroom. I won't bother you until breakfast is done. My bed will be more comfortable than the futon."

"No, thanks," I say, my face flushing bright red. He seems confused by this, but doesn't comment. "And, to answer your previous question, yes. I had wonderful dreams last night."

Edward laughs as he goes back to his cooking. "Must have been some dream to make you fall out of your chair."

My face turns crimson. Just keep slaving over that stove, Mr. Cullen. Please, don't turn around. I'm begging. "Yeah…it was…some dream."

"What was it about?" I can't see his face, but he seems amused.

Only he would ask such a pointed question. I stare back at the marble countertop. Such a nice countertop. Cold, personality-less…can't sense a lie… "Ducks," I blurt. It's the only thing that comes to mind. I'm sure it sounds absolutely absurd! I don't even know what I'm talking about. My shoulders slump. "I dreamt about ducks," I say, clenching my teeth at my own stupidity.

"Ducks?" The disbelieving look on his face tells me that he definitely doesn't believe me.

I decide to take what I can get and run with it and my lie grows. "It was quite a pleasant dream, actually. There were two of them. One was named Mort and he was an opera singer. He was surprisingly good. The other one was named Alfred…she was a professional dancer."

"Ducks?" Edward still doesn't look convinced.

I can't even look at him. "Can we just…drop it, ok?"

He laughs. "Why won't you tell me what you dreamt about? Nothing would shock me with you anymore, Bella."

Absently, I play with the toaster. "I dreamt about ducks. We'll leave it there."

He shakes his head. "I don't see how ducks can be embarrassing at all. Not nearly embarrassing enough that your entire face would be red. Unless…" A look of revelation crosses his face. "You dreamt about me last night, didn't you?"

I narrow my eyes. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I'm pretty sure that every exposed piece of flesh on my body is bright red.

He has the gall to laugh at me as I clench my fist. "Admit it, Bella Swan. You dreamt about me last night and you simply don't want to admit it."

At this point, I'm just going to write off my reaction as the havoc he plays with my hormones. One moment, I'm trying to think of some witty retort. The next, I'm hurling a toaster at Edward's head. I would be horrified if he hadn't caught it as if it were nothing. The amused look on his face at my seething form only increases my frustration.

"You know, Bella…if you wanted toast, you only had to ask me."

"Toast?" I say, appalled that he is trying to make light of the situation as he sits the toaster down next to him before he moves to turn off the stove. I feel the menacing smile lighting my face. "_Right_. Toast." I reach for the skillet he has set on the island and draw it toward me before I brandish it like a sword. "And now I want bacon and eggs!"

I'm beginning to think that I am neither threatening nor am I menacing because Edward doesn't even move. He stands there and, before I can reach him with the skillet, he catches my wrist. "Bella, we should seriously have a talk about you carrying around objects that can cause blunt force trauma. You're going to hurt yourself."

The smirk that quirks his lips infuriates me. I glare as best I can as he removes the skillet from my hand. "I hate you."

He laughs. "And I don't understand why you are acting like a two year old this morning."

I'm highly offended. I can't even chase him around his house without him insulting me. "Two year old?" There is no comeback for this. I can't think of a single witty remark. I can't let him win this battle of wills! It would only add to his growing list of victories! I want one! The only thing I can think of is highly stupid and will likely leave him speechless while proving his point.

I think I'm going to go with it. "Would a two year old do this?" I take his face in my hands and I kiss him. I kiss him deeply. I kiss him like it's my fantasies all over again. The fact that he responds is almost as infuriating to me as his witty comebacks. The fact that I cannot explain how I ended up pressed against the cabinets of the Cullen kitchen only fuels my frustration that this man didn't wake me up by ravishing me!

Abruptly, I pull away from the kiss, groan and stomp out of the kitchen, leaving Edward standing shell shocked that I have pushed him away and that I am walking away.

By the time he thinks to follow after me, I am on the phone in the den, arranging for Alice to come pick me up. I don't care that she sounds confused when I hang up the phone. I don't care that I am standing only in my bra and Edward's pajama pants that are hanging too low on my hips when he walks in the door. I want to get away from the object who has become the bane of my existence. "Bella, are you going to at least explain to me what happened in that kitchen?"

I square my shoulders and turn to him with the most stoic expression I can muster when, in all honesty, I want to jump his bones. "I don't think that you are entitled to an explanation."

He looks slightly furious at me. "And exactly why am I not entitled to an explanation?"

I shrug, stripping off my pants, folding them lazily. I pray that I am killing him as much as he kills me. "Where exactly are my clothes from last night? Alice is on her way. I don't want to keep her waiting when she gets here."

Edward takes another step toward me. "I am in no mood to play these games, Bella! What is going on?"

I shrug and begin to walk toward him, intent on going to Alice room and making myself acquainted with her closet. "What exactly are you in the mood for?"

He growls as I look at him as innocently as possible. He's not so stupid, this one. "You are extremely lucky that I was raised to be a gentleman, Bella, because, if I weren't, I would be throwing onto the futon and finishing what you started in that kitchen with no care of how you felt about it!"

I laugh. "I see," I begin to walk past him. "I'm going to go find my clothes."

Edward shakes his head. "Can we at least talk about this?"

"There is nothing to talk about!" I yell at him as I bound for the stairs and Alice's room. Her clothes should work until I can get hold of my own. I honestly just want to get away from Edward as soon as possible. For that reason, I lock Alice's door, take my time going through the small amount of clothing she brought with her, and use her bathroom longer than I'm sure is humanly possible. When I come out, I feel like my looks are the best they have been in the past three days.

When my phone vibrates on the way down the stairs, I grateful to see that it's Alice. "I'm in the driveway!" Alice says, cheerfully.

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Be there in a few!"

As I am making to bolt out the door, I encounter Edward in the kitchen once more. His hair is still wet from a shower. I try to push away the images that brings into my mind. For a moment, both of us are silent. Finally, he clears his throat. "I…made you breakfast," he says, moving to the counter to pick up something wrapped in aluminum foil. "I thought you'd eat it on the run."

I look at the food he is trying to offer me and gape at it for a moment. I'm not sure how to react. I actually have to force myself to take it from his hand. "Thank you," I say, clutching it, like a lifeline. I'm afraid that I going to crush the poor bagel I feel inside.

After a couple more seconds of standing in silence, he finally comments again. "That shirt is your color," he says, as if trying to fill the awkward silence.

I honestly can't even remember what I'm wearing. I have to glance down to see that I'm wearing Alice's rose colored warp shirt over a white camisole. "Oh…thanks," I say, not really sure how to respond. When we lapse into silence again, I purposely glance at the door. "Well…Alice is outside, so…"

"Right. Sorry. I'll meet you at the hospital in a little while," he says. I'm not sure how we went from angry to awkward, but it's sadly disheartening.

"Oh, you don't have to!" I honestly don't know if I could see him the rest of the day.

He smiles. "See you in a little while," he says as I turn toward the door. "And, Bella?" I pause and that seems to be his cue to continue. "Why did you kiss me?"

I groan and push the door open with more force than necessary. That man is cruel in more ways than one.

Hours later, Edward is nowhere to be seen. I have, however, been informed that Charlie cannot go home today and that I will have to wait at least twenty-four hours for that. So, I end up in the hospital, avoiding Edward's arrival and eventually, about five o'clock, allowing my dad to convince me to go home and get sleep because "I seem distracted."

There is no right way to tell your father than you keep thinking about having mind blowing sex with the man you've just introduced him to. Even though Alice keeps giggling when my dad comments on how tired I look. I'm pretty sure that's giving him the wrong idea. I'm also pretty sure he'd love a shot gun. This being such, I'm kind of forced to go home or face my father's wrath.

I wish Alice would stop giggling.

Alice loans me Esme's car to drive myself home and I think I'm free for the day of torment. I keep thinking about Edward and what he could have, and probably should have, done in the Cullen's kitchen, and I get angry all over again. I'm just happy that I can avoid him the rest of the day!

Karma, thou art a cruel bitch.

As I am walking out of the wing that my dad is staying in, wouldn't you know it, I collide with Edward. And I'm not talking about "Oh, hi!" bumping into each other. Oh, no. I'm talking he brought me flowers that ended up scattered across the hallway in the Forks hospital. "Edward! You idiot!" I say, as soon as I realize who it is.

He laughs as we both try to gather back up the flowers. "Hello, to you, too, Bella." When we get them back into a bouquet, he hands them to me. "They looked better when I bought them, but…"

I glare. "You brought me flowers?"

"Well, you won't explain to me what happened in the kitchen this morning, so…I feel it's only right and just that I do something spontaneously," he says.

I shake my head and clutch at the flowers. "Well…I'll be going then." I blatantly ignore his mention of what happened this morning in the kitchen and head for the elevator next to the nurses' station.

"Wait," Edward gently grabs my wrist to keep me from leaving. "Let me drive you."

"No, thank you," I say, trying to muster up a smile that seemed genuine as I pull out of his grasp. "Esme loaned me her keys so that I could go home. She said you would come by and get the car later."

"Bella," Edward says, sternly, falling into step beside me. "There is no reason for you to borrow her car when I can drive you home right now."

"I'd rather drive myself," I say, bluntly.

Edward sighs. I'm sure that he is frustrated with me. Honestly, I'd be frustrated with me, too. Women are a mystery that men simply will never solve. I'm a woman and I'm not even sure I've figured out how our brains work. "Does this have anything to do with what happened this morning?"

"No, it most certainly does not. I don't see anything wrong with driving myself home!" I say, defensively.

"I think that it's a waste when I could just as easily take you."

I stop so abruptly that he almost collides with me again. "Do you want to know what happened in the kitchen this morning, Edward?" I ask, viciously as I press the down button on the elevator.

Edward seems to be ready for battle because he proceeds to prompt me. "Why did you kiss me, Bella?"

I take a deep breath and hiss, trying to make myself as inaudible as possible. "I _kissed_ you this morning because I was absolutely furious with you, Edward. THAT is why I kissed you this morning."

For a moment, he is silent. "Go on," he says, not looking at all amused with me.

"I am _furious_ with you," I grind out between clenched teeth, all too aware that the elevator is already there. "I am not just furious with you, I am…enraged by your very presence! And, do you want to know _why_, Edward?" I don't even give him a chance to respond before I continue. "I am enraged by your very presence because, this morning, I woke up on a futon! Not even in a bed in a guest room, but on an uncomfortable futon in your den! Do you know what it's like to wake up after dreaming about a night of mind blowing sex to find that you are on a futon? Alone! Damn it, you insufferable bastard! You had to strip me naked to put me into those pajamas! What you should have done was throw me on your bed and ravish me senseless! More than a week ago you kissed me! Now, nothing! We don't even talk about that kiss. Oh, no. You'll kiss me when I've got a concussion, but as soon as I'm completely in my right mind, that never happened! I woke up fully clothed, expecting a gorgeous, naked, brooding man to be beside me! Instead, I got nothing! And then had to lie to him about how I dreamt about ducks the night before! And, clearly, that lie was bust! Because you saw STRAIGHT through that. But can you see that I'm utterly attracted to you to the point that I would jump your bones in a church full of people? No! You're too damn blind to see that!" I hit the down button on the elevator again to have the doors open immediately for me.

It is only then that I realize that I have an audience. Not only do I have an utterly speechless Edward standing before me, I have all of the nurses and doctors on the floor standing around, gaping. As my face goes crimson, I hear one nurse proclaim, "You go, girl!"

It's only then that I see Carlisle, whose eyebrows look to be so high on his forehead that I'm frightened. But, instead of gaping at me, he looks at Edward as I get into the elevator with what little dignity I have left. Before I close the doors, I hear Carlisle's voice.

"The futon, Edward? Honestly? I raised you better!"

Sometimes, I'm happy my allies are found in unlikely places.

So…now I am here, laying sprawled across my father's futon. I believe that my day has come full circle. It began on a futon and it looked like it was going to end on a futon, too.

I want a restart button for my day. Has anyone invented one of those, yet? I'd love to see it for my life right now. Better yet, give be a restart button so I can go back two weeks. I'd never have agreed to do this. I might still have my dignity in Forks, Washington.

I might never have realized that I was utterly in love with Edward Cullen.

Ok, not in love with, in lust over. There we go. That sounds more appropriate. I don't think it's possible to fall in love! Just keep telling myself that and everything will work out for the best.

God damn you, Edward….


	17. Day Seventeen: YeahI skipped a few

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**I'm back! I finally finished this. It's kind of rushed at the end. I admit it. I thought I'd post it before I went off to work! I'm sorry this took so long! Also, a friend of mine is writing a crackfic based on Bella's dream. When she finishes it, I'll link!**

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Day Seventeen: Yeah…I skipped a few…

Bless me, mind, for I have sinned...apparently by your definition, anyhow. I have not seen Edward in three days. Two days ago, I helped to move Charlie back home. That same day, Charlie proceeded to tell me that I was too clingy, that I needed to get off his back, he was a grown man, he could take care of himself and didn't I have clients to be taking care of? Yesterday, I asked Alice to drive me back to my apartment. Today, I'm back to work after carefully placed phone calls to Jacob and Billy, making sure they are following the doctor's instructions to a T.

And, of all of the things I wanted to deal with on my first day back, the last thing I wanted was Jessica Newton in my office. Period. Dot. I can't focus today. All I want is to go find Edward and jump his bones. I'm convinced my hormones are just screwed.

"He was flirting with our waitress. The entire time! I really don't know what to do!" Jessica's wailing is completely falling on deaf ears. I try to force myself to focus, but I'm beginning to wonder if I am beyond help. Resting my cheek against my hand, I'm sure I look like I'm on the verge of a nap, but Jessica seems to think she has my undivided attention. I should be the one in a therapy session, not her.

I do hear what she's saying to me, but I'm having terrible mood swings. I'm stuck somewhere between screaming "get a divorce already" and sympathizing. I mean, she's a slut, he's a manwhore! They're a doomed couple! Yes, I am a thirty year old woman speaking with the tone of a sixteen year old. I'm sorry. That's how I feel right now.

I try to keep my mind from wandering and away from insulting my client. It's very hard today. I should seriously consider charging more than eighty dollars an hour.

As Jessica is somewhere in her tale of idiocy, I hear the phone's intercom begin buzzing. Great. Thanks, Angela. At least _you_ know that I am supposed to be on my lunch break.

Holding up my hand in a gesture for Jessica to hold on a minute, I pick up the phone and, as bored as possible, say, "Yes?"

Angela pauses for a second. "Bella…" she takes a deep breath, as if wary.

"You're not on speaker," I say, bluntly. Jessica is too enthralled with her overly manicured nails to get the hint. She doesn't even realize that she's taking up fifteen minutes of my lunch break.

"Alice was on line two…and, if I may go so far as to say, she's not happy," Angela says, almost as if she's been put in her place.

"What makes you say that?" I can't honestly imagine Alice angry at me for anything. I haven't done anything…have I?

Angela doesn't even hesitate. "Well, it could be the fact that she growled at me when I told her you were with a client. Or, maybe, it's the fact that she's standing in the lobby right now, ranting about how her life is terrible, it's all your fault, and just because you aren't getting any doesn't mean that you have any right to scare her fiancé away with your bitchy roommate."

For a second, I really have no idea what she's talking about. When it all comes crashing down on me, I actually feel more angry than anything. "_My_ bitchy roommate? It's _her_ bitchy brother!" It occurs to me suddenly that I still have a client in the room. I clear my throat and turn back to Jessica. "Excuse me. I apologize for my unprofessional behavior…"

"Alice is coming in…"

"Like hell she is!" I scream into the phone. If Jessica Newton didn't think I was insane before, she most certainly does now.

Before Angela has a chance to respond, Alice is in my office. Standing a whole five foot nothing, she looks less than threatening as her slim arms attempt to take up the doorway in what she must think is a menacing fashion. Truth be told, she looks like a child about to throw a temper tantrum. Jessica glances between the two of us awkwardly. "Should I…"

"No," I say, smiling, as kindly as possible. "It's fine. Alice will wait in the _lobby_ until we're done with this session."

If I didn't know she was a thirty year old woman, I could have sworn that Alice growled at me. I glance at her slightly shocked. "One: you are supposed to be on your lunch break. Two: you caused this problem! You are going to fix it!"

I stare back at her blankly. "What are you talking about?"

Fire glinting in her eyes, Alice descends upon my office. "What am I talking about? WHAT am I talking about? I am talking about that pathetic little lapdog that has been moping around my house for the past three days because 'Bella is mad at me'!" Hands on her hips, she continues to plow me down. "'I wonder how Bella is. Do you think she's ok? Do you think she needs anything? Why is she mad at me? I don't understand women!'" Grinding her teeth, Alice continues to cut me down. "If I have to hear your name one more time Bella, I'm going to strangle you. I love you, but this has gone too far. Jasper is staying with Rose and Emmett, Bella, because every other word out of that pathetic excuse for a man's mouth is your name! I am no longer getting laid, Bella, because _you_ can't take control of the situation and jump that man in front of a church full of people!"

I knew someday those words would come back to haunt me. I just didn't realize it would be so soon…

"Alice…can we talk outside…or in a few minutes?" I say, looking at Jessica's clearly disturbed face.

"NO!" Alice angrily says, pounding a fist on my desk. "Do you know the only reason I've gotten Edward out of the house for something that is not work related? I had to tell him I was going to see 'Bella'! The look on the man's face looked like he was a starving man who had just been offered food! He's out there sitting all dutifully in your lobby while you inwardly curse him because you can't get laid! Do us all a favor and forgive him! So my fiancé might come back!"

I have nothing to say to that. I'm pretty sure I've been sufficiently put in my place. I'm never speechless…and right now, I am so speechless that I am not quite sure that I can form a coherent sentence. This seems to please Alice, though I do not think that she realizes that I am not going to simply bend to her will. Alice gives me a determined expression. "Now, you are going to fix this and you are going to fix it _now_!" With that angry expression, she stomps out in her designer heels, expression of anger back in place.

"Alice, I am not going to simply let that idiot move back into my apartment!"

"Yes, you are!" Alice says, angrily.

"No!" I say, again, slightly childishly as I stand up from my desk.

Alice stops at the doorway abruptly. She sighs, suddenly. "Well, I tried," she said, shrugging, as if she truly is giving up. She then closes the door softly leaving me confused.

I swear my eye twitches. I look at Jessica's shocked face. I sigh, sitting back down as calmly as possible. "Now…where were we?"

Before she gets the chance to answer, the door to my office opens again almost violently. Instead of Alice or even Angela, Edward is standing in my doorway. I stand up again. "Good God! Can no one respect that I'm with a client?"

Edward does not look happy with me. I'm trying to distract myself from the mental images of his toned torso underneath his blue, button up shirt. I think we both have a reason to be upset. "First of all, you should be on your lunch break! Second of all, what exactly have I done to you that is so terrible that I am beyond forgiveness?"

"Edward, this is not the time!" I wail. "You put me on a futon!" I still can't quite get over that, if you can't tell.

"Maybe I should…" Jessica starts to get up. This is not a good idea, apparently, as Bella the Bitchtress has made herself known.

"Mrs. Newton, please sit back down as you have every right to be here. Certain men, however, should be leaving because they are breaching client/patient confidentiality!" I glare meaningfully at Edward.

"You're supposed to be on your lunch break!"

"And when has that ever stopped people from talking before!" I ask, rather vehemently, throwing my hands up in the air for emphasis. If Jessica hasn't gotten the hint by now that I don't enjoy our sessions, the woman probably never will.

Oh, who am I kidding! This woman probably couldn't find the Pacific Ocean on a map!

"I simply thought that perhaps you might relish the thought of a break between clients," he says, his face clearly showing that he is still slightly upset with me. "And I think that we established in a certain hospital three days ago that this is not about a futon!"

I glare at him. "It's about the futon," I say, as clipped as I can possibly make my words.

He takes a step toward me. It's only then that I realize that I have been stepping my way around my desk to meet him. He still towers over me, but that's ok. I think I have enough venom right now to suffice for both of us. "I never want to hear the word 'futon' again in my life. My parents no longer have a futon, Bella. Do you know why? Because, after your little display, my father decided that all of his children were uncultured buffoons who didn't seem to understand the concept of all of the guest rooms in the house. Yes, Bella. My father called me an uncultured buffoon and decided that he was going to remove the futon so that I had no excuse to offend other women further by putting them on the futon ever again."

I am not sure what to say to that. Well, at least Carlisle still likes me. "It's not my fault your father decided to get rid of the futon!" I decide on the least of all evils. The defensive is often the best route in this situation. Yes, it's incriminating, but, that's ok…as far as I'm concerned right this moment.

Edward takes another step toward me. I take a step forward, as well. I'm not going to let him win this time. Not while I still have a chance. "Would you stop going on about the futon. We both know what this is about and it has nothing to do with the futon!"

I consider this for a moment. "Well, in a way…indirectly," I begin.

Edward cuts me off with a rather flippant tone. "So, you still stand by what you said?"

I glare. "Of course I do! You should have ravished me, you idiot! I was there for the taking! But, you didn't!"

"If I ravished you right now on that couch would you be happy?" And, even though, his tone is very serious, I'm pretty sure that he is joking.

"No! Of course not, you idiot! I'm a sexually frustrated thirty year old woman who has nothing better to do with her life than to help you run my ass ragged! You are the single most high maintenance man I have met in my entire…"

You know…I never really realized how close I was to Edward and I sure as Hell didn't realize how close I was to that wall. Not until I feel his lips on mine does it really occur to me that I'm even pressed up against a wall or that I am clinging to his shoulders on practical instinct. I moan at the feelings of ecstasy that spread through me. Who would have thought that kissing someone could feel this wonderful?

Someone clears their throat. I am also pretty sure I forgot that Jessica Newton was in the room until Edward pulled away. "Does that make you feel better, Bella?" Edward says, angrily.

Flustered, slightly confused, extremely disoriented and out of breath, I reply, "No!" In the short silence that follows during which Jessica Newton runs across my office and out the door, I notice that Edward tenses. "But you could always do it again just to make sure!"

Edward laughs and gently cups my face. "Gladly," he says. His kiss is anything but gentle and I find myself once more pressed up against the wall behind me, being ravished rather thoroughly. By the time I realize that Angela is standing in the doorway, clearing her throat and clearly embarrassed, I've got Edward's shirt completely unbuttoned and my blouse is hanging off my shoulders. Edward groans as he backs away from me. This isn't the best time to be interrupted.

"I…uh…I hate to break up…whatever this is, but Emmett is on line two, Rosalie's gone into labor and I think that's _slightly_ more important than your carnal needs…" Angela's crimson. I can't imagine how I must look.

Angela's words are like a cold glass of water being thrown into my face. I think both of us are pretty sobered by her words. Madly, I button the top few buttons of my shirt and rush for my purse. "Cancel my appointments!" I dig through my bag for my keys. "Is Alice still in the lobby?" Angela responds with a nod. "Good!" I begin to rush out of the room before I suddenly remember Edward is there. "Edward," I'm not sure where that thought was going. I sigh. "Go…take a cold shower or…something…see you at the hospital! Sorry!" I duck my head in guilt and run out.

Alice is bubbly as she grabs my arm and practically skips to the door. Angela has already begun to make the necessary phone calls before I'm even to the door of my office. "Thanks, Angela!" I say, not even getting to hear her response as Alice drags me away. "Woman! Would you calm down! It's not like we don't have time!" I glare. Alice is like an over excited child who's been offered candy…and it's not particularly fun to deal with.

"Oh, come ON, Bella!" she whines. "We don't even know anything! How long has she been having contractions? Have they already talked to a doctor?"

"Good grief! You've got nine hours to worry about all of that…if Rosalie's lucky!" I roll my eyes and climb into the cab of my truck. "Don't speed! Meet you at the front of the hospital! WAIT for me!" I emphasize. I know she won't. I'll have to call her when I get there. That's just how Alice is…she's too peppy for her own good. I sigh.

Well, there goes my day, once again…or should I say "thank you" to Rosalie for saving my dignity?

Who knows. I just know this will be a long night.

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	18. Author's Note: I'm Baaaaaack!

**Author's Note:**

**So...it's been a while. I have had a few incredibly rough patches and a midlife crisis at the old age of 21 and...I want to finish this story if there is still interest in it. If anyone is still interested in this story, drop me a review and let me know! Im also debating reporting a revamped/edited version of the story separately. Thoughts?**

**That is all, three years later from this authoress...**


	19. Day Eighteen: Humans Have Slip-ups

**DISCLAIMER: I have not owned Twilight for the past four years, so I am pretty sure that it hasn't changed in the two weeks that I have been away.**

**Greetings! I have returned from a lovely overseas voyage (AKA, running away from all the problems in my life) to give you all your long awaited update. There is one particular reader who has harassed me about this update for the past three years. Let us all take a moment to honor her for taking up her pitchfork every time the work fanfiction was mentioned in her presence.**

**...Moment over. ;)**

**After such an overwhelming response, I have decided to finish this story. I will be sad to finish it and will probably revamp it for my own wicked intentions, but I have so many wonderful people who are following this story, I can't keep from writing it any longer. **

**I love all of you! Thanks for your support of this story even though it's taken forever! I give you, the next chapter!...and, if you review, you get a quote and a cookie!...though, the cookie is digital, the quote will be meaningful and...completely random!**

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Day Eighteen: Humans Have Slip-ups

"So help me God, if I have to stop the two of you from racing wheelchairs down the hallways AGAIN, you will be tied to those chairs with whatever I can find in my purse," I hiss at Jasper and Emmett, who I have had to separate in the waiting area of the Seattle Maternity ward. It is three o'clock in the morning and we have already been here for twelve hours. If Rosalie doesn't have that baby soon, I think we are all going to go insane.

In the past twelve hours, Rosalie has kicked Emmett, her fiancé and father of her child, out of the room, informed all of us that she only wants Esme, Alice, or I in there with her holding her hand, kicked Alice and I out, and decided that now only Esme could be in the room with her.

Everyone, subsequently, decided that Rosalie was high maintenance and did not truly know what she wanted because she was in pain…

That was only the first three hours of her being in labor. After that, I decided that I needed to stay away from Rose until she had an epideral…

Which, knowing Rose, wild, masochistic, "I-will-have-my-teeth-filled-without-Novocain" Rose…that could be a while.

And, since the only mother figure to arrive had been Esme, and, since Rosalie hadn't kicked her out of the room yet, I was in charge of the merry band of children…which included all thirty-something year old family members. I would have had help, but, after arriving at the hospital, Edward was called away by his evening shift and now I was in charge of stopping the impending wheelchair races that Emmett and Jasper had attempted.

I look at Jasper, who is sitting in a very lovely, cushy-looking chair in the corner. He smiles his ever catching smile, his messy blonde hair falling in his eyes. I try not to let him charm me…but, he has all the charm of any good Southern gentleman. There is definitely a reason that Alice fell for him. "It was just a bit of fun, Bella. You might even find you enjoy it…Hell, we might even let you join a race or two. I bet your knight in shining armor might even be able to get us a few wheelchairs!"

Stupid Southern drawl…stupid idiot bringing up Edward…

I keep the best pokerface I can manage. "It will also get all of us kicked out of the hospital," I say, my voice sounding a bit like Mary Poppins.

Sweet Jesus, I am turning into a mother!

Emmett chuckles. I have to turn toward the opposite end of the room to see him. Yes, I actually, physically separated them. It keeps the coconspirators from plotting. "It's the maternity ward, Bella," he says, as if this has particular meaning. When I don't respond, he shrugs. "It's the most boring ward in the entire hospital. Having a wheelchair race is more acceptable here than in, say…the trauma ward."

I think I missed that stage in my life where I wanted to do stupid things for fun. Like…racing wheelchairs in a hospital while one of my best friends is in labor. Maybe, it is something that only men went through in their life, and, perhaps, it was my genetic code that kept me from understanding this concept…but, I find something morally wrong with racing a wheelchair down the hallway while Rosalie is in pain, having a baby down the hall.

Suddenly, through the giant archway into the waiting area bursts Alice. I had barely registered that she had disappeared, to be honest, so, her sudden arrival shocks me. Alice plops down in a chair with a wrapped, deli meat sandwich in her hand, though, honestly, I don't know where she got one of those at this hour. "I'm back!" she says from the chair at Jasper's side. She noisily unwraps the sandwich before taking a bite that is likely comparable to the bite a dinosaur would have taken out of the same sandwich. "What did I miss?" She asks this question while her mouth is still full of food. Jasper smirks at the twitch he sees in my face. Clearly, this is why he fell for _her_.

Emmett leans forward in his chair, staring at his hands. "We were just discussing where we should do a wheelchair race."

At these words, I see Alice's eyes gleam. Let's be honest, we are all bored, we are all sleep deprived, and, if not for Rosalie's untimeliness, we would all be home in bed. So, the fact that her eyes are glittering should not surprise me.

That thing I was mentioning? It apparently isn't linked to the Y chromosome.

"No!" I burst out. I knew where this was going. Once you got Alice in on it, nothing was stopping it… "You three are not making any trouble in this hospital! Besides, what happens if Rosalie has the baby while you three scoundrels are racing wheelchairs through the hallways?"

Alice is still smiling, eating her sandwich happily. After she swallowed her sandwich, she smiles at me with bright eyes. "But, Bella…it will only take a few seconds! And, I'm sure that no one will mind if we're _really_ quiet!" She says this as though the three of them are capable of being quiet.

"I know better. I will not allow this!" I say, a bit too loudly, I guess. A passing nurse stops in front of the waiting area and stares at us before she moves on in her rounds. I lower my voice. "Besides…where are you guys going to get the wheelchairs? And how do you three plan on going about this without hitting anyone? You're all in your thirties! You are too old to be running around like children! I shouldn't have to watch your every move as if you might destroy all of the equipment in the hospital!"

Alice immediately begins to pout. "Come on, Bella! Let us have a little fun!" I note that Emmett and Jasper are both smiling at each other. Did they plan this telekinetically or something?

Emmett leans back in his chair, arms crossed across his hulking chest. "Well, I dunno, Alice. Maybe Bella is right." This shocks me. He was so gung-ho about this twenty minutes ago. I know something weird is going on, I just can't put my finger on it. "I mean, maybe we are too old to be having fun like that."

Ah! That's what was weird! He had intended to use my own misplaced words against me. And, everyone knew what that meant! Once you got Alice started, she would probably not stop.

Probably? Who am I kidding? Alice marched to the beat of her own drummer. Alice, my dear Alice, she wouldn't stop.

This is confirmed two seconds later when she jumps up from her chair. "Old? We are _not_ old! Bella, just because you think that it is time to sit down and knit on your porch with your cats doesn't mean that the rest of us are too old to have fun! You've got to live a little! Take chances! Actually do something risky for a change," –I move to say that racing wheelchairs is not risky, but she doesn't give me the chance- "And maybe you might actually enjoy getting away from your crazy cat lady ways for once!" She begins to stride toward the entryway in her designer heels. Like a captain rallying his troops, she puts her fist into the air. It would be comical if I were not positive that the ensuing incidents were going to get us all kicked out or thrown in jail. "Now, I am going to go procure us two wheelchairs and we are going to have this race! And, don't try to stop me, Bella! You can't stop the A-train once it's in motion!"

She strides out. Emmett and Jasper are practically in tears with laughter and I am standing stunned in the center of the room. "We're all going to get kicked out," I fret.

Emmett claps me on the back as he moves to follow Alice. "No worry, Bella! Just follow the A-train!" He winks at me. "Who knows! Maybe you can afford to have a little fun!"

Ten minutes later, I've decided to pretend that the three of them are drunk and not actually this stupid in real life. It's like a bad novel…Alice is going to be calling the race, Emmett and Jasper are racing…and, I'm curled up at the end of the hallway, praying that they don't kill themselves. Maybe I will get lucky and security will see that I am a totally innocent party!

While the three of them look like they're having fun running their loop through the ward, laughing, yelling orders and insults back and forth…I'm still more content to play it safe in my corner. I will stay out of trouble here…I assume.

I couldn't be that fortunate. In the next instance, Jasper loses control of his wheelchair and runs into my leg. I jump up, screaming any number of curse words as Jasper falls out of the chair, still laughing. Emmett rushes over to me, also laughing. Alice seems to show genuine concern, though, as I flex my leg and continue my string of curses.

"Son of a…" I am huddled over like a hunchback, gripping my shin. "I told you this was dangerous!" I say, venomously.

Jasper laughs. "Sorry, Bella. Are you ok?"

I glare at him. Alice comes over to check me out. "Let me see it," she says, rolling up my pants leg. She frowns. "You'll have a bruise…Jasper, please be more careful…Bella is very delicate!" This last part she says as if she meant to whisper it…or intends to egg me on. I intend to not allow this to happen.

"I'm fine," I mutter.

Emmett gets out of his chair. "I believe for that, Bella, you should race his and kick his ass!"

I raise an eyebrow. "No, thanks," I say, sitting back down. I cross my arms over my chest and close my eyes. I do not intend to let them goad me into such silliness.

The next voice I hear is Jasper. "He's right, Bella. What's fair is fair. You should face me and you should most definitely kick…well…ass, as Emmett says."

Alice scoffs. "Bella doesn't want to do that." I hear her sigh. "Remember? She's an old cat lady."

I jump up. I will not be treated this way. "Give me that wheelchair," I say, wrenching it away from Emmett. He laughs and bows to me.

I sigh. Am I seriously going to do this?

Emmett comes up behind me. "Here, Bella." He takes the handles of the wheelchair. "I'll even push you so that we can win this together." I look back at him and he winks at me. We are getting thrown out…

Alice gets in front of us, raises her hand and begins with the ever cliché, "On your mark, get set…GO!"

Emmett runs very fast. I never knew this until I am clinging to the wheelchair, on the verge of screaming. "EMMETT!" I squeal. This is not fun! This is beyond unsafe! This is frightening!

Emmett is laughing as Jasper calls him a "Futhermucker" as we speed past. "Just relax, Bella! Isn't this fun!"

…and, soon, they have brainwashed me into thinking that this is the best thing in the world and they're all taking turns pushing each other down the halls at top speed.

Now, I should have seen it coming when I began to have fun. And, in the middle of a race with Alice, whom is being pushed by the poor soul Jasper, I see it. A door begins to open in front of Emmett, who has just barely taken the lead. A nurse is coming out of one of the rooms in front of us and we are going to fast to stop. We either turn, or we are hitting that door head on. Emmett tries to turn in front of Jasper to avoid the nurse. I scream…

And, suddenly, I'm skidding across the floor, after hitting the back of my head.

"Bella!" I hear someone yell. The world is going a little fuzzy. I can't really tell who it is.

"I'm…fine…" I say, though the room is spinning. I didn't even hit my head _that_ hard…did I? I try to sit up, but I fall back down.

The next thing I know, I'm lying on a gurney, with a flashlight in my eyes. "Bella?" A familiar voice is calling to me. As my world comes into focus, I see Edward behind the flashlight. I groan. "Bella, do you know where you are?"

I look around. "ER?" I question. It's probably the most coherent thing I can say. I feel woozy.

I see my favorite crooked smile. "Actually, you're in your room. Good to see you're conscious now," he says. "Can I examine you now?" I close my eyes and nod. Maybe, I knocked my head harder than I thought. Edward's cool hands feel the back of my head, the front of my head where my stitches were almost healed…He sighs. "Three head injuries in less than a month. I think we have a new record." I can tell, even with my eyes closed, that he is smiling.

"Don't make fun of me," I mutter. "This is Emmett's fault…"

Edward laughs. "Ah, yes. I heard. You very valiantly defeated Alice…in a wheelchair race."

I frown and open my eyes. "In my defense, I did tell them it was a bad idea. I did tell them that someone could get hurt."

Edward smiles. "Just didn't count on that being you, huh?" I glare. He laughs. "I think you may have a mild concussion and I want you to stay here overnight for observation. Being knocked out of that wheelchair ripped open your stitches, which I am not pleased about. I would have sewn it back together if I hadn't known you would throw a fit when you woke up and found thread in your forehead. I'll glue it back together in the morning after you've gotten some rest." He gets up from his seat and immediately goes to put hand sanitizer on his hands.

I only half follow what he is saying. It takes me a second to realize that Edward is not wearing scrubs, but he is wearing casual clothes, jeans and a black turtleneck. "You're off?" I question. I don't know what time it is, but, he should be off about now.

He nods. "I'm supposed to work a couple more hours, but I had a bit of an emergency and my superior said I could take off early."

I laugh. "Oh? I suppose it wasn't Rosalie's baby…so, it must have been me bumping my head again."

He smiles at me as he begins to move toward the door. "Actually, yes. I wanted to be able to make sure that you were alright. That was more important to me than the rest of my shift and the other doctors understood that. I have covered more than my fair share this month as it is. They thought it was more important for me to check on my accident prone girlfriend than for me to stand around doing nothing all night." He moves to turn off my light. "It's alright for you to get some rest. A nurse will be in a little later to take your vitals. She'll wake you up. Don't worry." He smiles at me reassuringly before he turns off the light. "Good night, Bella," he says, gently.

"Wait!" I call as he begins shutting the door. He stops. It's pathetic of me to stop him. What do I say? I hate hospitals? I don't want to be alone? These excuses just sound pathetic. I sigh, finally, and, bite my lip. "Stay with me?" I ask him, half-heartedly, trying to keep my voice light.

He smiles at me, comes back in the room, and closes the door behind him. "Bella, Bella, Bella," he says, shaking his head. He sits down in the chair next to me and takes my hand. "I will always stay with you if you ask that of me." He winks at me. "Remember? It's my job to keep the nightmares away."

I shake me head. "Shut up. I just…don't want to be alone."

Edward nods. "That's fine," he says, pushing pieces of my hair back behind my ears. "But, go to sleep, alright? I'll be here when you wake up."

And, I feel comforted by that knowledge. At least comforted enough that I close my eyes and I'm able to begin to drift off. There's something that is nagging at my brain, though. I'm too groggy really to pick it out…

Right before I drift off, I realize what it is.

Did Edward just say I was his girlfriend?

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